What Do You Do When Your Servicemember Is Away (Short-Term)?

[McD]

Well today is the start of drill weekend, which means Zac won't get home until tomorrow around 5:00. (He is responsible for the RSP, recruit sustainment program, which is a fancy way of saying he babysits all the people who have enlisted but haven't went to basic yet).

Usually, the kids and I try to do something fun whenever he's gone. Sometimes, Wesley and I have a 'campout' in the living room where we stay up late watching movies and sleeping in the living room. We make fun dinners, like homemade pizza, sometimes I purchase little craft kits from Michaels and we have arts and crafts time.

Because the kiddos don't get to spend a lot of time with Zac due to his PD schedule, they get really bummed on drill weekend, so I try to make up for it in other ways.

Do you guys do anything with your kids to keep their mind off of the short-term departure of your servicemember?

[Nishu]

No, I don't do anything at all for short separations. For longer separations we have a tradition of watching the boat leave and then going out for breakfast but that's about it. I use separation time to do stuff that he doesn't want to do and to make food that he doesn't like but that's really it.

I think my kids are older than yours though so that might be why this works better for us. I don't do anything special because I've found that if I act as though it's business as usually, my kids are fine even for the deployments. It's weird how it works that way but really, as much as my kids adore their dad and hate to see him go, they're fine as long as I don't get bummed.

[McD]

The deployments are generally business as usual for us, but drill weekends really mess with Wesley. He'll be 5 next month and because DH's on second shift, Wesley never gets to see him.

So I usually try to do something a little special. I like your traditions, Nishu. I bet it makes it easier on your kids--knowing what to expect.

[Lindsey]

We don't do anything different. J is gone right now for 18 days and they only different thing we have done was we went to McDonalds....