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Deployments bring changes and this is especially true when a service member returns due to injury. The injury may be physical or emotional or a combination of both. Nothing can be as unsettling for the family and especially for a child whose questions may not have immediate answers. Because things are constantly changing – and challenging – approach these changes in small steps through the various stages of coping with the “new normal.”
Crisis and Stabilization
The more the family rallies round, the better the parent who is either physically or emotionally injured, or both, may do. And even when the outcome is unknown and reassurance is hard to give, your child needs to be offered the chance to be hopeful.
Rehabilitation
Once the service member is stable and starting the recovery process, new issues will arise. Help your child understand that this can be a long process. Say, “It’s a long road, but we’ll get through it, one step at a time.”
Reintegration
As the injured parent continues to rehabilitate, your family is learning hopeful ways of going on and is starting to make long-term plans. Encourage your child to view such changes as part of a journey and as a way for your family to continue to grow together.
Invisible Injuries
Invisible injuries are the hardest injuries for children to understand. Why does a parent seem angry? Or sad? Why does he forget things or just seem “out of it”? It’s crucial to find a way to explain these changes to your children in ways they can understand.
