You’ve heard the saying that communication is key. Meaningful communication is also a highly important aspect of surviving military separations. Creative ways to keep the connection strong between spouses and parent/child are abundant. From on-line applications and live streaming video to progressive craft projects and photo journals or home made books ... there’s no reason to NOT reach out. And with today’s technology, the long awaited arrival for a post card or written note from your deployed spouse and parent is a thing of the past. “Poof,” there’s an email. “Bing,” daddy wants to chat. “Click”, and you’ve downloaded a video after nap time.
But can immediate contact create stress? Some experts say yes. The need to be plugged-in to every aspect of what's going on "back home" can create conflict for the service member who has no control over situations on the home front. What about the self-imposed expectations? Do electronic communication methods, YouTube, social media applications, video chat, Face Time make us feel the need to provide more than just a simple "Hello, I miss you"? And as the recipient, do we place extra pressure on the service member to "get in touch NOW" when immediacy is not really required. Are we reinforcing a sense of instant gratification and ignoring the valuable lessons of delayed gratification? It is suggested that a healthy balance of e-contact and other creative “old fashioned” ways of connecting is perhaps the best way to help both parties bond and keep the family connection strong during separation.
It is our hope each month to present to you what’s new on the market in the way of apps, projects, and opportunities to create and maintain a balanced and healthly constant contact while your service member is deployed.
What do you do to keep the connection strong? Share with us and thousands of other military parents. Contact carolp@macaronikid.com.
