MSU Extension 4-H Military Family Programs

A Year Without Dad

• Title: A Year Without Dad
• Author: Jodi Brunson 
• Illustrator: Cramer 
• Publisher: Ithaca Press 
• Date of Publication: 2003 
• Audience Age: 4 years and up 

Summary 

A Year Without Dad is a realistic look at what happens while a child’s dad is deployed for a year. It covers pre-, during-, and post-deployment through the eyes of a young boy. 

Pre-Deployment Activities 

Make a list of all the things you do with your service member. Talk about what things you will continue to do and what things you might not be able to do while they are gone. Spend time together as a family during meal times. Let each family member talk about how their day went. What did they do, where did they go, who did they meet and other interesting things that happened during their day. 

During-Deployment Activities 

Keep a diary or picture book of your day went each day your service member is gone. Just like the family meal time talks include things like what you did, where you went, who you met and any other interesting thing that happened. Work with your teacher to have your class send thank you cards and notes or pictures to your service member. Your service member can pass them out to other service members they are deployed with to help brighten their days.

Post-Deployment Activities 

Share your diary or picture book with your service member that you kept of how your days went. Choose one or two of your favorite days and talk about them with your service member. Revisit the list of activities that you made before your service member left. Choose a few of the activities and do them together as a family or as a special time with just your service member.

Supporting Military Families During Deployment with Books & Activities

Deployment involves moving an individual or military unit within the country or to another country. A mission or task might include training, supporting communities during times of disaster, helping foreign countries or fighting in a war. The many changes happening with each departure and return create difficulties for both service members and their families.

Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Michigan 4-H are committed to supporting the more than 20,000 Michigan military children and youth, and their families, through programming and community education. 

Programs for Military Families Include: 

• 4-H clubs on installations and in communities
• "4-H 101" and "4-H 201" training for military staff
• Operation: Military Kids (OMK) - supporting children of deployed soldiers
• Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK) - preparing teens to speak on military life and deployment 
• Hero Packs - saying thank you to military children and youth
• Military 4-H Club Grants - supporting 4-H clubs for military youth and integrating them into county 4-H programs
• Community Awareness Training - educating the public on issues facing military families experiencing a deployment
• Special recognition events during Month of the Military Child and Month of the Military Family 
• Educational and recreational events and opportunities for military families 

4-H Military Family Book Sheets

The 4-H Military Family Book Sheets help parents and guardians find books and activities to help their children during various stages of their service members’ deployments. Each book sheet contains a summary of the book, author and publication details, and activities that they can use with their children pre-, during or post-deployment to extend the message of the book. To find each book, check with your local library, bookstore or online retailer. 

• Before reading: Show your child the front and back cover of the book. Ask him or her to guess what the book is about. 
• While reading: Stop at any time if something comes up that you or your child would like to talk about. 
• After reading: Spend time talking about the story. 

Learn More! 

Connect with us on Facebook: Search "Michigan Operation: Military Kids" and "Michigan 4-H." 

For more information on supporting military families, visit the following websites: 

• MSU Extension: (msue.anr.msu.edu)
• Michigan 4-H Youth Development: (www.4-hmilitarypartnerships.org)
• Operation: Military Kids: (http://www.operationmilitarykids.org)