Fathering after Military Deployment: Parenting Challenges and Goals of Fathers of Young Children

Abstract

Although often eagerly anticipated, reunification after deployment poses challenges for families, including adjusting to the parent-soldier's return, re-establishing roles and routines, and the potentially necessary accommodation to combat-related injuries or psychological effects. Fourteen male service members, previously deployed to a combat zone, parent to at least one child under seven years of age, were interviewed about their relationships with their young children. Principles of grounded theory guided data analysis to identify key themes related to parenting young children after deployment. Participants reported significant levels of parenting stress and identified specific challenges, including difficulty reconnecting with children, adapting expectations from military to family life, and coparenting. Fathers acknowledged regret about missing an important period in their child's development and indicated a strong desire to improve their parenting skills. They described a need for support in expressing emotions, nurturing, and managing their tempers. Results affirm the need for support to military families during reintegration and demonstrate that military fathers are receptive to opportunities to engage in parenting interventions. Helping fathers understand their children's behavior in the context of age-typical responses to separation and reunion may help them to renew parent-child relationships and reengage in optimal parenting of their young children.

Military Veterans and Fatherhood: An Intergenerational Impact

“…Veteran father's post-deployment report significant levels of stress related to reconnecting with children need for support with family reunification and coping skills for co-parenting and temperament (Walsh, 2014). As one response to the identified need a program called Support to Restore, Repair, Nurture and Grow (STRoNG) was created.…”

“…STRoNG is a short-term (10-week) multifamily parenting group intervention. Strong focuses on parent mental health, with a focus on the post-deployment reunification phase, which includes fathering (Walsh, 2014).…”

Impact of deployment on military families with young children: A systematic review

“…None focused on veteran households, although one study did include responses from retirees (Kelley et al, 2006). Six study samples recruited only the military service member of the family Gewirtz et al, 2010;Lee et al, 2013;Scannell-Desch & Doherty, 2013;Walsh et al, 2014;Willerton et al, 2011). With the exception of one qualitative study of 20 military nurses, 75% of whom were women (ScannellDesch & Doherty, 2013), the respondents in these studies were men.…”

“…For example, Barker and Berry (2009) instructed parents to recall their children's behavior "before deployment," although the length of time preceding deployment was not specified in their instructions (in contrast, the comparison group of nondeployed families was asked to recall the prior 3 months). Other studies examined the postdeployment phase, periods referred to as "reunion" (Barker & Berry, 2009), "reintegration" (Louie & Cromer, 2014;Willerton et al, 2011), and "reunification" (Flake et al, 2009;Walsh et al, 2014). However, with the exception of Gewirtz et al (2010) who included a time frame of 1 year after deployment, "postdeployment period" was not operationalized.…”

“…Six studies examined service members' parenting concerns associated with their deployment Lee et al, 2013;Louie & Cromer, 2014;Scannell-Desch & Doherty, 2013;Walsh et al, 2014;Willerton et al, 2011). Several described parents' fears that their children would forget them while deployed, their distress when children worried for their safety, and apprehension about childcare arrangements during deployment (Everson et al, 2013;Scannell-Desch & Doherty, 2013;Willerton et al, 2011).…”