When a parent is deployed, families need tangible connections. These keepsakes bridge the distance for both the serving parent and the children at home.
For Children at Home
- Daddy/Mummy doll: A flat fabric doll printed with the parent’s photo in uniform. Children carry it everywhere.
- Voice recording bear: Record a bedtime story or “I love you” message in a teddy bear.
- Countdown chain: A paper chain where one link is removed each day until the parent comes home.
- Story recordings: Pre-record bedtime stories so children hear the parent’s voice every night.
For the Deployed Parent
- Photo keyring: Family photo they can carry at all times.
- Children’s drawings: Laminated so they survive deployment conditions.
- Handprint art: Small, flat, and meaningful.
Reunion Keepsakes
The homecoming is a milestone. Document it. The children running to the parent, the embrace, the relief. These photos become among the most important your family ever takes.