After weeks or months apart, everyone is excited to finally be together again. But for your child, having a parent suddenly back home can also mean a lot of changes all at once.

The routines they’ve gotten used to may change. There may be new expectations, big emotions, and lots of people wanting to celebrate. And while we’re busy getting ready for that first hug, it can be easy to forget to prepare for everything your child may want or need to communicate.

Your child’s QuickTalker Freestyle can help give them a voice through all of it.

Talk About Coming Home🔗

Before homecoming, give your child opportunities to talk about what’s coming.

You can model words and phrases like:

• “Dad comes HOME soon.”
• “I MISS Dad.”
• “I WANT a hug.”
• “I FEEL happy.”
• “I NEED a break.”

You don’t have to sit down and have a formal conversation about deployment. Work these words into everyday moments while you’re looking at pictures, watching videos, packing for the homecoming, or talking about what the day might look like.

Prepare for More Than “Happy”🔗

Homecoming can bring a lot of different feelings. Your child might be excited. They might be nervous. They might want a hug—or they might not. They might want to be close to their returning parent one minute and need some space the next.

Make sure their QuickTalker Freestyle has ways to communicate those feelings and boundaries.

Words and phrases like:

• Happy
• Excited
• I want a hug
• Nervous
• Scared
• I miss you
• I need a break
• Too loud
• Not yet
• No

Giving your child a way to say “not yet” or “I need a break” can be just as important as giving them a way to say “I missed you.”

Include Their Voice in the Homecoming🔗

It’s easy for homecoming to become a day where everyone else is doing the talking. Family members are excited. Friends are excited. There may be questions, pictures, hugs, and lots of attention.

Remember to make space for your child’s communication, too.

Give them time to respond. Let them decide how they want to interact. If they use their QuickTalker Freestyle to communicate something, give that message the same attention you would give spoken words.And if they need a little extra time to adjust to having their parent home, that’s okay, too.

After the Welcome Home🔗

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the homecoming itself, it’s getting back into everyday life afterward.

Your child may need time to adjust to a parent being home again. Routines may look different. Bedtime might change. A parent who has been away may need time to learn what has changed while they were gone. Keep using the QuickTalker Freestyle during those everyday moments.

Model words for routines, feelings, choices, and connection. Give your child opportunities to tell you what they want, what they need, and how they’re feeling. The deployment may be over, but communication is still important as your family finds its new rhythm.

Mission Ready Tip🔗

Before homecoming, spend a few minutes looking through your child’s QuickTalker Freestyle. Make sure they have easy access to words and phrases for feelings, people, activities, and boundaries.

Homecoming is about bringing your family back together. Make sure your child’s voice is part of that reunion, too.