Father’s Day Ideas for When Dad is Deployed

Father’s Day is just around the corner and for lots of families that means barbecues and time together, but when Dad is deployed the day looks very different doesn’t it?  Burgers and family lawn games aren’t going to work so how can we still take care of Dad and show him how much he means to us even when he is deployed? Dad deserves to be spoiled so here are some ideas to get started. 

1. Special delivery with all his favorite things. Customize your package with favorite snacks, books, magazines, sports team memorabilia, a cozy blanket, warm hoodie, etc. You could let each of the kids choose something special to add to the box and can even have them decorate the inside just to make it more personal. Before putting in all the goodies have the kids decorate inside with special pictures telling him just what a great Dad he is so when he opens the box the inside of the lid will greet him with messages from the kids. And as he unpacks his goodies more of the art will be revealed. 
2. Send a personalized gift like a “World’s best Dad” mug or pillowcase with the kid’s faces to greet him each night. The gift will depend on where he is deployed and what he can have with him in that location, but there are so many different customizable gifts to show how much you care. 
3. Does Dad like puzzles? One year we sent a puzzle to Dad to let him know that “he was our missing piece.” To make it even more fun we only sent the middle pieces and put together the outside and sent a pic to let him know it wouldn’t be complete until he got home. When he came home, he brought the rest of the puzzle and we loved completing it together. 
4. Old fashioned letters/cards and homemade gifts are always a good way to let kids share their love. If you have little kids take advantage of those little artists while you can. There is nothing sweeter than a homemade gift from a little one. And nothing says Father’s Day better than a gift from the heart like homemade gifts do. 
5. Send him a custom calendar. This was one of our favorite gifts to send one year when our guy was deployed for Dad’s Day. We took family pics and used them for each month so he could remember the fun times and customized the calendar we made so that he could know all the big events, remember birthdays, see our faces and pictures of good times with the family and of course we decorated the month he was coming home with balloon and celebration pics. The kids put messages throughout, and I hid some too to make it fun each month and help him feel more involved. 
6. Send him a journal that you have kept for a period so he could see what your daily life is like while he is gone. Let the kids write in it and draw pictures too. Creating a journal for him will help him feel part of what is happening and lets the kids share details of the day with Dad like they would if he was home.  
7. If you want to make it easy send him gift cards he can use. You could choose online places so that he can ship gifts and depending on where he is get deliveries too. 

There are so many ways to show the dad’s in our lives that we care, but it does take some creativity and thought to show him just how special he is when he is far away. With a little preparation we can make sure that our guys feel all the love and make sure they have a Happy Father’s Day no matter where they are.  

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