The military has come up with a fairly odd tool for kids whose moms and dads are stationed overseas:
give them a life-size cardboard cutout of the missing parent. A Flat Daddy or Mommy is a cardboard poster of the parent created from a photograph that families can seat at the dinner table or bring on car rides. The cutout is designed to help them feel connected to the parent who has been deployed far away.
The program was started by an army wife who made a cutout of dad for her daughter, and the idea has been adopted by military units across the country. The posters are made available for free (except for shipping and handling) to children of deployed parents.
The website for the daddies and mommies shows a picture of two kids riding in a car with their dad poster sitting between them. Does flat daddy allow you to use the carpool lane? There's a note written in kid scrawl, "My flat daddy is in my room with me all the time." I might find that more terrifying than comforting. While the idea is seems wacky, it did arouse my suspicions a bit. So I did a little snooping, and discovered that I have in fact been living with a Flat Daddy for months. Apparently my significant other is somewhere in the Bahamas right now. No wonder we've been getting along.
So I can tell you the pros and cons of having a Flat Daddy from personal experience. Flat Daddy is not so good at ball sports, and his driving leaves something to be desired. However, he is extremely easygoing, and a fabulous listener. He constantly tells me he loves me. He also goes great with the life-size cutout we have of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. I think we'll keep ours.
