Search Results
Publication Date
Military REACH Publications
Focus Terms
Military Branch of Service
Sample Affiliation
Age Group
Military Affiliation
Publication Type
Award Winning Publications
1.Parent-teen conflict dissolution
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2.Sources of variability in remote communication between deployed military fathers and their children
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3.Mother–child emotion communication and childhood anxiety symptoms
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4.Parent--teen conflict dissolution
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5.Quantity and quality of communication during parental deployment: Links to adolescents’ functioning
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6.Veteran–child communication about parental PTSD: A mixed methods pilot study
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7.Do family communication patterns buffer children from difficulties associated with a parent's military deployment? Examining deployed and at-home parents’ perspectives
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8.Predictors of adolescent male & female minor delinquency & status offenses: Exploring family structure & process
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9.Supportive communication between deployed parents and children is linked to children's adjustment
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10.Family communication across the military deployment experience: Child and spouse report of communication frequency and quality and associated emotions, behaviors, and reactions
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11.'Out of sight' but not 'out of mind': Parent contact and worry among senior ranking male officers in the military who live long distances from parents
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12.Electronic communication use and socio-emotional well-being among military youth
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13.Influence of technology usage on family communication patterns and functioning: A systematic review
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14.A comparative analysis of military and non-military parent engagement in public elementary schools
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15.Disclosure and secrecy in adolescent–parent relationships
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16.Marital quality and child functioning: A longitudinal investigation
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17.The impact of changes in family communication on sustained mental health symptom improvement in parents/caregivers following a military family intervention
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18.A grounded theory of online coping by parents of military service members
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19.Resilience in remarried families
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20.The long-term effects of child abuse and neglect on communication and conflict management within the military marriage
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Research summaries convey terminology used by the scientists who authored the original research article; some terminology may not align with the federal government's mandated language for certain constructs.
FATHERS IN THE MILITARY
Balancing parental and work responsibilities is difficult enough – but did you know that around 37% of the United States Armed Forces’ 1.3 million active-duty Service members have children? Thankfully, there’s a wealth of research on these families’ experiences. Today, we’ll consider research regarding fathers’ experiences in the military, paying particular attention to how fathers navigate parenting during challenges like deployment and reintegration. We’ll discuss some of the difficulties military fathers face during deployment and reintegration, along with how they affect military fathers and their children. We’ll also provide parenting resources intended to help balance work and family life. Common challenges among military fathers and how they impact the family Service member fathers face many parenting difficulties during their military careers, but two of the biggest challenges are deployment and reintegration. Deployment is a stressful time for military families. The extended separation they face can take an especially heavy toll on fathers. Research shows that when fathers perceive a threat to their safety during deployment, their parenting becomes less sensitive. This, in turn, may cause their children to exhibit social and emotional difficulties (e.g., poor peer interactions, unhealthy emotional expression) as well as behavioral problems (e.g., hyperactivity, defiance). Similarly, deployed fathers who have difficulty managing their emotions may engage in more coercive parenting (e.g., irritability, bossiness, persistent negativity). Coercive parenting, in turn, is linked to poorer overall well-being for children, with outcomes including internalizing (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression, hyperactivity). Reintegration, the period of a Service member’s adjustment to “normal” life after deployment, also poses challenges for returning fathers. Reintegration, like deployment, is often associated with increased stress for the entire family. Returning fathers report less patience, more irritability, and more communication problems with their family during reintegration. Research further finds that military fathers’ mental health concerns (e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress disorder) can also contribute to their children’s’ behavioral problems years after reintegration. Additionally, stress during reintegration sometimes leads to less emotionally sensitive parenting (e.g., less supportive, not supervising children as needed) by military fathers, which can have consequences for child adjustment (e.g., behavioral problems) during reintegration as well. How fathers can mitigate the risks of military-related parenting challenges Being a father and Service member does not automatically result in negative consequences for your children: frequent father involvement contributes to better parent and child well-being. Specifically, when fathers spend more time with their children both at home (e.g., recreation, shared activities) and during deployment (e.g., setting time each week for video calls) their well-being is greater. Spending time with their child also gives fathers untold opportunity to model positive parenting practices, such as supporting the child’s decision-making and encouraging positive behavior. Military-related stressors such as long periods of separation put military fathers’ own well-being at risk. Given this reality, it’s important that fathers care for themselves. Practicing mindfulness and self-care are useful ways for fathers to attend to their own emotional needs; the practices also serve as useful models for children. Furthermore, fathers should consider professional help to address their mental health concerns: such help in turn makes them better equipped to care for their children. Beyond mental health, fathers may choose to address the quality of their parental relationships. Evidence suggests that a father’s relationship with his child’s mother affects the child’s mental health (e.g., depression). Military fathers might therefore invest in their romantic relationships with couples counseling or relationship education in order to reduce potential negative consequences for their children. Lastly, fathers can also mitigate the risk of parenting challenges by attending parenting programs. The Department of Defense has invested in evidence-based parenting programs and resources to promote military family readiness and resilience. These programs address a variety of family-related topics, including parent-child communication, bonding with children, and finding a new “normal” upon returning from deployment. To learn more about these programs, check out the resources listed at Military OneSource. Despite facing many challenges in balancing work and family responsibilities, military fathers continue to be resilient and positively impact their children. By using an abundance of resources for military families and improving their parenting skills as a result, fathers can ease the burden of Service-related challenges borne by both the family and themselves.
PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION DURING DEPLOYMENT
In 1986, Mady Segal described both the military and the family as “greedy institutions” that require an individual’s time, loyalty, energy, and commitment, and this pull between one’s career and one’s family is particularly evident during deployment. However, there are skills and tools available to military families that might lessen the burden while navigating the military lifestyle. While deployment can be challenging for the entire family, there are unique challenges that children face when a parent deploys. To help address these challenges, here are a few tips to keep in mind surrounding deployment: 1. Planning makes a difference. Start by making a communication plan before the deployment occurs. Think of it as a battle plan for staying connected, a strategy to address the physical and emotional distance between the service member and the family that can be revised as needed. Encourage a conversation between the service member and his/her significant other or co-parent about communication styles (e.g., writing letters, phone calls) and patterns that will occur throughout the deployment. This planning period also includes the children; try giving them some autonomy in determining how they want to communicate with their deploying parent (e.g., video calls, letters). Then assess whether that communication plan is realistic and practical. Example Child desires: Video chat with parent every day Practical solution: When parent is available to video chat, child can be the first to talk to them for ~5 minutes by themselves 2. Quality of communication is key. A high quantity of communication (i.e., the number of times a parent and child can contact each other) may not be possible, but quality is. Evidence suggests children have fewer behavioral problems when (1) the deployed parent has frequent communication and (2) when the communication is emotionally positive (examples below). Emotionally positive communication is available any time you communicate, whereas the frequency with which communication occurs may be uncertain. Therefore, focus on what you can do to help your child through deployment by demonstrating warmth and connection each time you communicate with your child, regardless of how often communication occurs. Keep in mind that being warm may not come easily or naturally to all parents; if this applies to you, take a few minutes before calling to recollect positive things that you can share with or say to your child. Example I heard you are doing well in _____________. I was thinking about the last time we played together, and it made me smile! Hearing your voice/seeing your face makes my day better. Be on the lookout for a letter from me! It should be there in about __ days. While deployment is difficult for military families, especially children, it is important to remember that there are many ways to help your child. Start by creating a communication plan as a family before deployment and remember to be as emotionally positive as possible during deployment communication. These steps help equip children to better manage the challenges of deployment.