hey is there anyway for a nearly 5mo old to know that her daddy is gunna be gone for a long time??

we dropped him off today and usually she is okay with it cause he does get back home but when he was leaving she was going HYSTERICAL. and when we got back home she was just a wreck, so i gave her a shirt that he wore recently and she nuzzled on it till she fell asleep and even in her sleep she's like crying. :(

i mean its only two weeks and im pretty bumbed out by this too but watching her go through this is making me want to cry. :(

any ideas to help her deal with him being gone?

Hi, I'm part of a Military Family Resource Center that we Canadians down here have set up for our families.  Some of the things we do suggest is to put a picture of the deployed parent by the child's bed.  In your case, maybe attach some pictures of her dad to her mobile if she has one so that she sees him as she goes to sleep and sees him first thing when she wakes up.  Also, if the t-shirt is helping, maybe cut it down and put it on a teddy bear for her to snuggle with.  In the future, maybe have dad do some recordings for you to play for your daughter of him reading some stories to her.

I hope some of this will be helpful, and that the next 2 weeks goes okay

Also children can feel our emotions and know when something is wrong or differant. My husband has been in the Navy for 10 years so we have goon through many deployments land and sea. Try and stay positive and your baby should feed off of you.

Also children can feel our emotions and know when something is wrong or differant. My husband has been in the Navy for 10 years so we have goon through many deployments land and sea. Try and stay positive and your baby should feed off of you.

Also children can feel our emotions and know when something is wrong or differant. My husband has been in the Navy for 10 years so we have goon through many deployments land and sea. Try and stay positive and your baby should feed off of you.

I agree with Elisha, your child will react to how you are reacting.  Now I know it's not easy to control your emotions, my husband is getting ready to deploy for 4+ months, and I know FOR SURE I will be crying for days, but just try to stay positive.  And pictures, pictures, pictures.  When my husband left last time our daughter had just turned 1.  I was afraid she wouldn't remember him when he came back, so I had picutres of him everywhere - the kitchen, the living room, the car, I even gave her a picture that was hers (she crumbled it, chewed on it, but it was hers) I even had a daddy pillow made for her that she carried around.  When he came home 4 months later, as soon as she saw him get off the elevator at the airport, she was darting out of my arms to get to him and was saying his name, so pictures help.  Also if you have a video camera, well I guess it won't work now, but for future, tape him playing with her, interacting with her, you can even record him reading books, not necessarly to her at that time, but just reading and then she can watch it later.  Just some tips I got from others and have found helpful

thanks ladies i'll definetly use those ideas. and will definetly try to keep my emotions in check. :).....