WANTED: books about parents going to war

[Monkey26]

Hi all,
2 of the children I care for are from marine families and both children's daddies have just received dates for deployment :-(
I would like to help their mummies support them, esp. whilst they are here. So I just wondered if anyone has any books that are suitable for 1-3 year olds about this... Or can at least point me in the right direction to purchase some!
Thanks,
Jo xx

[christine e]

Hi

Well I'm very interested in this as I care for an older child who's Dad has been deployed to Afghanastan. Did a google and came up with these results but they seem to be mainly American.

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&source=hp&q=books+for+children+parents+in+armed+forces+uk&btnG=Google+Search&rlz=1R2SKPB_enGB367&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=books+for+children+parents+in+armed+forces+uk&gs_rfai=&fp=74aa98f7d3a65fd7

I will keep looking and get back to you if I find anything concrete

Cx

[miss mopple]

Oh gosh, I have no recs for you Im afraid but just wanted to say how hard that must be for all :(

Well done you for being so supportive :thumbsup:

[christine e]

This site gives advice
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/talking-to-children-about-war.asp

Still looking for a book

Cx

[christine e]

http://ftp.rta.nato.int/public//PubFullText/RTO/MP/RTO-MP-HFM-134///MP-HFM-134-41.pdf

This sounds good

Cx

[ninagee]

We are a service family and understand what its like for dad to be away. This is the link to the Royal Navy children's book. That's the only one that I am aware of.

http://www.rncom.mod.uk/uploadedFiles/Pages/Family_Wellbeing/Deployment_Matters/Childrens_workbook.pdf

I also have a RAF activity book called Hello from Home about deployed parents. I tried to attach the information pages without success. Send me a pm and I can send the pages I have scanned.

Hope this helps

Nina :)

[fiona]

hi all, if you contact SAFA or the Royal British Legion they have some great info. i went to Iraq when my children were small and my husband applied to them for some info! hope this helps

[Monkey26]

Thank you for your replies.
I did another google search last night and came up with this book http://mydaddyisasoldier.co.uk/ it has got some really good reviews so i am going to order one tonight, there is also one called my mummy is a soldier but it doesnt come out until the end of the month. It looks like it will be in really basic child language which is what i want :-)
I am going to follow the links people attached now. Thank you again and i will let you know when i receive the book! x

[Tina O]

Hi, I'm over in Germany with forces and will go tomorrow to my welfare office and get you some information for you and some possible ref books.... also search for a site call Army Families Federation, (www.aff.org.uk) its like the welfare services for us miltary people they will have information on the scheme that they run. They do have scheme where dad can read a bedtime story to kids etc so help is out there.

The family should have access to welfare so ask mum/dad for some information that you can use. I have had both my boys with me when their dad has been operational, the main thing is not to make a big deal of it and be led by them. They may want to not think about it or they may want to talk about it everyday, it depends..... I used to have a map on the hall wall where we would put a pin in so the boys knew where dad was.....also if you can avoid the news and remember if anything happens to dad then the family will know BEFORE it is on the news....

If you need anymore info let me know and I will find what I can xx

[Monkey26]

Thank you Tina, that website looks very good and i will definately be forwarding it to the parents. One of the mum's is already very thankful as i have forwarded a few fact sheets to her now :-) Maybe i should start writing them all down on a page-Ofsted would be impressed! Teehee! x

[Heaven Scent]

There was someone (a soldier or ex-service man) on This Morning/GMTV or Breakfast (who wrote a book especially for children about just this subject - it may be worth trawling all 3 sites if you have no luck then try emailing them if not try the One show - it was definately a programme where people are interviewed on a couch and the writer was sitting on the right hand side of the screen.

[Spangles]

I've got My Daddy is a Soldier, you can get a 'mummy' version too.

It's a very simple book but it's really nice for when they are little.

It's very hard for children when they have parents being deployed. Sometimes I think the older they are the worse it gets as they understand more.

It's also terrible for the parent who's away, they miss out on so much. Maybe sitting down and doing drawings to post, colourings, mini diary type thing, extra photos to send?

When my husband was deployed my son (was 3 then) thought he was permanently on an aeroplane and every time he heard one he asked if it was his daddy! Strange as it was he seemed happy enough with his assumption of where daddy was!

[Monkey26]

Heaven Scent was it "My daddy's going away..." ?? Just pulled up the website for this and seems to be quite a new book with a lot of press release in the last 2 months! http://mydaddysgoingaway.com/default.aspx link for others there x

[Monkey26]

I have posted in the members section all fact sheets and books that were recommended to me. Hope it helps some you as well :-) x

[zippy]

http://www.mymummyisasoldier.co.uk
this is a link for a book my mummy is a solider there is also a daddy version, hope it helps it was wrote by an army wife, also if you talk to the school, you might find they have some resources you can borrow or if you can access the army welfare officer they may be able to help, hope this is of use to someone