Something to talk about

Having trouble explaining your unaccompanied tour to your child?  Here are some tips people shared with us on how to talk to children:

• For young kids, use two stuffed animals (let's say a rabbit and a bear) to act out a scene in which the rabbit goes away for a while...
• Be positive - mention that this is part of your job and you're not doing it to get away from the family, daughter's new boyfriend, etc.  Mention that it's an opportunity to serve on one of these tours and not a "have to go" or "making me go" situation.
• The parent at home can mail to the parent at post a box with pre-stamped postcards that the employee can easily write a quick note and drop in the mail.  (Tip: You or your kids can also create personalized postcards purchased at arts and crafts stores.)  Feeling tech savvy?  The US Postal Services has a site that will help you create electronic postcards.
• One family found it really helpful to watch the Sesame Street pre-deployment video and other guides and resources for parents and kids.  Take some time to explore the site because the there are layers and layers of information - it was just tricky for me to navigate.
• Want more ideas on how to talk to kids?  Go to PBS's Talking with Kids.