141st - Deployment Resources (Ages 5-8) Deployment - Emotional Signs and Coping Strategies 0-3 3-5 5-8 8-12 13-18 Adults Children: Ages 5-8 Pre-Deployment Emotional Signs: More irritability or crabbiness Increased aggression Increased school problems; dropped grades, unwillingness to attend, odd complaints about school/friends Suggestions for Coping: Praise children for their efforts to cope with the pending separation Listen to your children; ask for their opinions, preferences Ask child to draw a special picture for the parent to take along Brainstorm with children creative ways of keeping in touch...cassette tapes, puzzle letters, encoded messages, etc During Deployment Emotional Signs: Clings/unexplained crying tearfulness Changed relationships with same aged friends Prefers adults over same-age friends Increased aggression Shrinking away from people Sleep difficulties (nightmares, waking) Regressing in toileting/thumb sucking Eating difficulties Complaints about stomach aches, headaches,or other illnesses when nothing seems to be wrong Increased school problems; dropped grades, unwillingness to attend,odd complaints about school/teachers Suggestions for Coping: Give children a method of measuring the passage of time such as a ceremonial crossing-off on each day on the calendar Talk about the deployed parent often and spend time looking at scrapbooks and photo albums with children Help children "write" letters and encourage them to draw pictures to send Keep the lines of communication open between you, your children, and the children's teacher. Reunion / Homecoming Emotional Signs: Feel guilty they weren't good enough or didn't do enough Boasts about the service and the parents Talks the entire way home trying to bring parent up-to-date Suggestions for Coping: Praise children for their efforts to cope with the separation Listen to your children; ask for their opinions, preferences Review school work with your children Share scrapbooks, pictures, etc.