It’s Christmas time and you know you need to find that special gift for your military child. But what do you get? Being in the military means, dealing with deployment and having to figure out some great ways to keep your children feeling secure about where daddy is and keeping them close. This isn’t always an easy task, but I’ve listed a few things I’ve done that would make great holiday gifts.
Daddy Dolls- Okay, this isn’t something I can make and thank goodness there is actually a company that makes them. What are they? My husband wouldn’t be caught dead with a doll? Right, were these your thoughts? Not to worry you don’t have to send these to your husband, however your son or daughter may adore them. In fact, my daughter loved her daddy doll so much she still puts him in her bed and carries him around. These are little stuffed pillow people, the front has a picture of daddy in uniform and the back is all camouflaged. Kind of looks like a miniature of him.
The Mean Green Pillow- Okay, take a shirt of your spouse and spray some cologne he wears. Let it dry a bit and then place it over a pillow, some women have been known to use this as well for themselves. You can just place it over the pillow or sew it on the pillow, if you are making this for your child you’ll probably want to make it secure. There is nothing scarier than waking up to a screaming child because she can’t find her daddy’s shirt.
The Picture- When my husband landed in Iraq he sent me a picture of him, of course it went with me everywhere but I was afraid the little one growing inside me wouldn’t know him. Once she was born I made a copy of this picture and blew it up to be an 8X10 and placed it nicely in a safe frame and laid it in the crib with her. No matter what she always saw daddy when she woke up or went to sleep. I ended up having to make two more of these because my other two children each wanted one. I’ve decided these are great gifts, not only for your kids but probably his family as well. It’s nothing fancy just a picture of him fighting for his county.
The Scrapbook- Start your kids on their very own scrapbook. Take a couple pictures of your kids with daddy and start putting them in a book. Don’t forget to place his letters in the book as well. This will give your kids something to do while he’s gone and something they’ll treasure forever.
Military books- That’s right believe it or not there are a ton out there. Every child likes to know that they aren’t the only one going through this, books have helped in my experience. Here are a few you might like.
Uncle Sam’s Kids: When Duty Calls
Holidays are tough enough without the spouses around, at least you can still make your child smile. Hope one of these little items helped and may you have a wonderful holiday season.
Still looking for gift ideas, check out the links below:
Who’s Ready to Shop? Some Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids
Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas for That Special Someone