The Sesame Street Deployment DVD

[MCsMom]

and yes, this belongs in the TV-Free forum, lol. Please help me think this through.

We do not have a TV, have not for the entire time my almost 3 year old has been alive. In the past 6 months or so, my DD and my DH started watching one DVD on the computer on Friday night, a special 'movie time'. It is not every Friday, it is only when she asks 9like once or twice a month), and it is only with my DH, not myself. It rarely even lasts through one 30 minute DVD as they just do not keep her attention. And we turn it off when she is done. It is really just so that when she asks 'can I watch X?' we can say 'on Friday', but when Friday rolls around she has forgotten.

So anyways, my DH is deploying for a year in a month or so. The last time he came home when she was about 9 months old, so I don't think she remembers it at all. I just got the SS DVD on deployments and watched it. What a tearjerker. Anyways, now I am wondering what to do with it.

Make it a 'special' DVD that she can watch whenever she feels like it? Make it a 'special' DVD in that she can watch it other then Friday's but only when I think she might benefit from it? Enforce the 'movie time' on Fridays and if she wants to watch it, fine it is her one DVD, but no other time?

What about the first time? Say 'we have a new one' next Friday (or a Friday) and just put it in. Say 'look at this DVD, it is about other families like ours - want to watch?' or ???

When I ask other military families what they do, I just feel like maybe their answers just don't take into account that *my* DD is and has been mostly TV free, and that *I* think sometimes that she is a little more sensitive to TV then other kids just because she has not been around it so much.

I have been thinking also about not giving it (the DVD) to her at all. We do have a couple of kids books about the subject (we have not started reading them yet to her). I just wonder if maybe it isn't going to be 'too much' for her to handle. The DVD itself is really nice. I must say, I think they did an excellent job and I can see why so many people rave about how great it is and how wonderful it is for their kids while a parent is gone. It is a really nice DVD. And I guess in some ways that is why I want her to see it as well. It really might be useful. I just don't know.

So what do you all think?

[Kaitnbugsmom]

my 2 year old {3 in august} watched about five minutes of the deployment dvd and promptly left the room. She will on the other hand watch the videos daddy made for her and her sisters over and over and over for hours if I let her.

[*Devon*]

Yes, I was just going to suggest having your dh make her a special DVD that she can watch whenever she wants!

I think having Daddy being gone is such a hard situation, whatever makes her feel better about it, even if it is the Sesame Street DVD, let her do it when she wants... then she might feel a bit more control over the situation, you know?

[MCsMom]

Originally Posted by Kaitnbugsmom

my 2 year old {3 in august} watched about five minutes of the deployment dvd and promptly left the room. She will on the other hand watch the videos daddy made for her and her sisters over and over and over for hours if I let her.

What is your DH doing in the movies? I know it seems silly, but what are they videos of him doing? We were already planning on taping him reading some story's for her.

[Kaitnbugsmom]

nothing really, explaining that he's going away for work, that he loves them, and he's not going because he's mad at them or they did anything wrong or any of that. That he's going because it's his job and he doesn't want them to be upset or feel sad but he knows they will and it's okay, because he's upset about it too. He tells the older girls to help around the house and be nice to each other, etc. On the 2 y/o's he tells her how much he's going to miss not being there for her first day of preschool, her first day of AWANAS, her 3rd b-day {which if he comes home on the leave he wasn't supposed to but now may get, he will} but that there will be plenty of other memories once he comes home. He tells all of them to pay attention in school & church, and the older girls to study their Bibles and remember to keep all the soldiers in their prayers.

It's a lot, but he spent most of his free time between orders coming out in June and him leaving for Fort Stewart in January working on them, and a couple hours the night before his leave was over while we were at Stewart in February.

[EyesOfTheWorld]

I can't relate to this subject since my DH has never been deployed, but I wanted to 3rd the DVD of him - I think that's a great ide. I also just wanted to send you ladies a and tell you the description of your husband's DVD made me tear up!

[Arwyn]

I have never been in this situation, and hope never to be but here's my opinion on it anyway (worth about what you paid for it ).

"Enforce the 'movie time' on Fridays and if she wants to watch it, fine it is her one DVD, but no other time?

What about the first time? Say 'we have a new one' next Friday (or a Friday) and just put it in. Say 'look at this DVD, it is about other families like ours - want to watch?' or ???"

I would do the bolded with the sesame street DVD, but would be more generous with any movies her dad makes for her. The deployment DVD sounds really great, but it's still a mass media thing, y'know? Whereas videos of her dad are of her dad, and are totally different in my opinion.