At this stage of the rollercoaster, you might feel angry that your parent or loved one is leaving. Remember there is no right or wrong way to feel, all feelings are normal.
During this time, you may feel the need to be alone for a while or you may want to spend more time away from home.
Knowing when your parent or loved one is leaving and where they are going is something you will want to know, although this isn’t always possible.
Maybe you could find out what your serving parent or loved one will be doing whilst they are away or mark on a world map where they are being deployed to.
Being active is a great focus to have before your serving parent or loved one goes. Exercise can help you manage those big difficult emotions.
Have a look at our recommendations for some activities to do from our Wellbeing Journal.
It’s important to let adults around you know what is going on.
By having a chat with someone you trust, it means they can support you at the start of the deployment rollercoaster.
Listen to young people sharing some of their experiences of deployment and the strategies they use to help.
They can be gone for a long time. Before they go you will feel lots of different feelings and that’s ok, it’s also completely normal.
The things keeping you safe on this rollercoaster are your seatbelt and safety harness.
Like your safety belt and harness, you may need support when your deployed parent or loved one is away. Asking for help and support will help you through this rollercoaster ride.
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First, there’s the lining up stage – you know that you will soon be on the rollercoaster but you don’t know how long you will have to wait.
Once on board, you feel the anticipation of starting; your heart beats faster and you might worry about what will happen next.
Suddenly, you’re plunged into the unknown with your stomach churning as the air rushes to your face.
Hurtling down the slope you might start to feel joy, exhilaration or possibly fear.
Here’s a fun way to explore lots of these different emotions.
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Scroll through our resources below.
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Our Digital Deployment Pack is funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the BFBS Big Salute.
