Little ones shouldn't have to worry about the grown-up decisions and problems that their parents deal with.
Still, kiddos with parents in the armed services can't help but learn certain hard truths early on, like understanding that sometimes Mom or Dad will go away for months at a time for the sake of the country. That's a lot for anyone to deal with!
Fortunately, one company stepped up to the plate with an invention that helps ease the transition: Daddy Dolls.
Daddy Dolls are special stuffed toys that help families cope with the changes and absences of an active-duty parent. They help to bridge the time between deployment and the joyful reunion, months later.
Parents who serve their country know that sometimes duty and patriotism will take them away from their families. It must be comforting to know that there's a "Daddy Doll" back home, helping the kids cope.
In fact, one mom recently shared an incredibly sweet story about her toddler daughter, and her beloved Daddy Doll.
Scroll through to learn more!
Mom Brooke Hayes touched hearts all over the world this week with a beautiful photo she submitted to the Facebook page Love What Matters.
The photo shows her youngest enjoying a hearty breakfast, accompanied by a photo-printed stuffed doll designed to look just like her little girl's daddy!
The post took off in a big way, garnering tens of thousands of "likes," and hundreds of comments from military parents and spouses who could totally relate to the situation.
Alongside the sweet photo, Brooke writes:
This morning I took my kids out for breakfast, and my youngest daughter brought along her daddy doll.
She likes to bring it along on our adventures as a family.
She will pretend to feed it, talk to it, and act like he is with us until we are reunited as a family again.
This morning strangers came up to our table after seeing the doll and thanked us for our service as a family, and some told us about the days when they served in the military.
She continues:
A few times strangers have cried after seeing the daddy doll and once someone told my son to take care of his family until his daddy comes home.
Men and women leave their families for weeks, months, or a year and many people will never know what that is like.
When we got the daddy doll I thought it would be a good way to connect our little ones to their father but in a way it has connected us to strangers too.
Daddy Dolls is a company that was started by two moms with husbands in the Marines.
In the "about" section of their webpage, they write that they were inspired to start the company when they realized, "With…both [husbands] having been deployed twice in less than two years, the absence of [D]addy was beginning to take its toll on our own children…We wanted to find some way to make the separation easier for our sons and daughters while keeping their fathers close to their hearts and in their prayers."
They quickly realized that many other families suffer similarly with military parents who are away often.
The Daddy Dolls have taken off in a huge way.
Not only are they popular with military families, they have also gained traction with long-distance couples, ex-pat families who live far away from grandparents, and folks who want to remember someone who has passed on.
The dolls bring comfort to people from all walks of life.
To make a doll, the absent family member poses for a photo.
Then, the photo is printed onto fabric and stitched into a plush doll that's perfect for cuddling after a scary dream, or for taking to the diner for breakfast!
Daddy Dolls are a beautiful way to keep kids connected with their hardworking parents, and to help families weather the transition during deployments.
After all, when you're little, there's nothing more comforting than knowing your parents have your back, no matter where they are in the world.
Interested in making your own Daddy Doll? You can place your order here!
If you love this sweet idea, be sure to SHARE and spread the word about these amazing dolls that can make all the difference in the life of a child.
