#8 Talk, Talk, Talk.
Scott advises other milspouses to “keep kids in the know.” Discuss fears and address questions on their level, using Skype to allow a deployed parent to join in the dialogue. Above all, let kids know you’re available to talk ANY TIME they want.
“Open communication is key to alleviating fear and acting out,” says Scott.
#9 Listen.
Pay close attention when kids share their feelings, even if what they say is hard for you to hear. Don’t take nasty comments or criticisms personally.
“Encourage kids to express their anger at you directly,” says Walfish.
Be the kind of parent who acknowledges, validates, and accepts your kids, flaws and all. Expressing emotions in words makes it less likely kids will misbehave to make their feelings known.
#10 Stick With All of These Things.
One of the hardest things to accept about parenting is that sometimes it takes months of repetition-reminding kids to clean up their room, reminding them to brush their teeth in the morning, reminding them that you’ve got their back through troubled times-before the positive impact of those reminders kicks in.
