Communication
Tips for Unaccompanied Tours
By
Margaret
Communicating
during a UT can sometimes be a challenge. Uncontrollable factors such as
time differences, work and other commitments that require time and attention,
and power outages (just to name a few) can really impact our ability to
communicate with our loved ones serving abroad. Because communication is
important and sometimes limited, we must make sure that we make every second
count when we do get the opportunity to communicate. The following are some
tips for communicating during a UT:
1.
Keeping it in perspective. Understand that what may seem
urgent to you back here on the home front may not seem as urgent to your loved
one who is serving on a UT. Therefore, if you share an issue with your
loved one and do not receive a response that you like, don’t take it personally.
Nine times out of ten, your spouse may be dealing with issues that are far more
urgent than those that are going on at home.
However, rest assured that this does not mean that he/she is not
concerned about your issue. Keep things
in perspective, and don’t waste valuable time on the phone, Skype, etc.
complaining about issues that are really out of your spouse’s control. Instead, value the time that you have to
communicate with one another, and try to focus on the positive.
2.
Keep it creative.
Oftentimes, long distance communication with your loved one can become
routine, boring, and limited. While modern technology has made it easy to
communicate with our loved ones who are away, sometimes it may be worthwhile to
revert back to “snail mail” for a change.
Instead of using the telephone or Skype, try writing a love letter to
your spouse. Can you imagine how happy he/she will be to receive a thoughtful,
hand-written love letter? If writing is not your thing, simply send a care
package with items that communicate “I love you” such as a CD with a mixture of
love songs, a book of poems, or a collage of pictures that illustrate “love.”
3.
Keep FLO/UT in mind in times of
uncertainty. Uncontrollable factors such as power outages,
civil unrest, and long work hours may sometimes make it impossible for your
loved one serving on a UT to communicate with you. If you have not heard from your loved one
and are concerned about whether or not he/she is okay, please do not hesitate
to contact FLO/UT with your concerns. We
are here for you!
FLO’s publication Bouncing Back:
Transition and Re-entry Planning for the Parents of Foreign Service Youth provides
parents with guidance on how to help their child transition to the U.S. The
publication includes research and resources from professionals in the field of
youth mobility and was written by adults and children who experienced the
Foreign Service lifestyle firsthand. For more information on transitions and
the Foreign Service child, visit FLO’s website. 
