US

Military Families Survive Deployment…Using Life-Sized Posters

Last year my nephew sent me a “Flat Stanley” for a school project. Stanley was a small, flat, six-inch, paper man, and my job was to take pictures of him at interesting spots throughout the city. That was a simple middle school project. But what if a flat, cardboard-like man was the only way you got to see your husband or father? That’s exactly how some military families are getting through deployments.

The pictures are called Flat Daddies, and they’re made by a company with the same name. The concept is self-explanatory: you send the company a picture of your deployed loved one and they create a life-size poster (from the waist up). You‘re then free to do with it what you’d like, and some families have even plastered the pictures on hard backings and started treating them as fill-ins:

A quick Google search reveals the Wyse family isn’t the only one to use a Flat Daddy as a substitute — the concept has been around for years:

According to the company’s website, Flat Daddies are the creation of Sergeant First Class Barbara Claudel of the Maine National Guard. They’re “a way to help the families in Maine stay connected to their loved ones serving.”

To date, it says it’s shipped 9,098 of the poster doppelgangers. Families can order them for $49.50, or they can also be sent as gifts.

“Thank you so much for the flat daddy!” one woman writes on the testimonial section of the company’s site. “It is so realistic that it took a few days to get used to because it would startle me whenever I went into the room with it thinking there was someone there. It really helped my 1 year old be comfortable with my husband when he came home for his R&R leave.”

Comments (53)

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  • BurntHills
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 3:37pm

    perfect. esp for the toddlers who have never seen Daddy yet, they will not be so shy or afraid when Flat Daddy walks in the door. love the entire concept. great idea. typically American good ol’ know-how!

    Report Post » BurntHills  
  • Navyveteran
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 3:11pm

    Sounds exactly what we have in the white house at this moment! A flat president, at least if we had the cardboard cut he would be better than the life size one we have now!

    Report Post »  
  • Coyote6
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 3:05pm

    I wanna life sized cardboard Glenn Beck to get me through the day.

    Report Post » Coyote6  
  • CalvinandHobbes
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 2:41pm

    Having been deployed with the Navy for 6 months at a time on 3 separate occasions, I can empathize with the families missing their loved one….but if my family had a life-sized cut-out of me in the home while I was gone, it would have looked like the cut-out of Dwight in “Dodgeball” by the time I came home!

    Report Post » CalvinandHobbes  
  • dizzyinthedark
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 2:19pm

    We did something similar to this when our daughters fiance was deployed to Iraq and it was such fun hauling him around to family dinners. We stuffed clothes and stuck a life-size photo of his face on the ‘dummy’–what fun we had! Sent him photos to keep him amused during a tumultuous time! He came to Christmas dinner, met our family (sort of) was in all the family photos, rode in the car with us, sat at the table with a beer–great fun!

    I heard Moochelle has one of Alan West in her closet!

    Report Post » dizzyinthedark  
  • katiefrankie
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:53pm

    I read a story about a “Flat Daddy” and was really touched by it – it was one mom‘s way of keeping Dad fresh in her children’s minds and helped Dad feel close to his kids even while far away. Here’s a copy of the article: http://www.parade.com/news/2010/11/28-wish-you-were-here.html

    Report Post » katiefrankie  
  • deadbeatjoe
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 11:57am

    Cute. Remind the kids who their dad is in case some Marines start hanging the house.

    Report Post » deadbeatjoe  
  • Petunia
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:51am

    Does the Whitehouse have one of these? Obama seems to fall flat on his face quite often. But he‘s so lifelike it’s creepy!

    Report Post »  
  • LB
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:36am

    As a military family, the cutouts are a bit over the top, but I am all in favor of doing whatever can be done to help children with the separation anxiety these little kids go through. In no way are they able to fully understand being called to serve and duty to country, they just know that they miss mommy or daddy. We got our 3 yr old a hug-a-hero from daddydolls.com, something he can actually hug when he misses his daddy, and it really has helped. Daddy is on a pre-deployment training rotation right now and has been for the last 5 weeks, and our son gets to talk to his daddy about his day, takes him outside to play and says his prayers with him. These tools really do help toddlers and small children, and until you are in a position like this, do not judge what the waiting parent does to help their children cope. And me, I would take a flat Obama and line the dog run in the backyard with it.

    Report Post » LB  
  • MightyBee27
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:33am

    My husband was deployed alot, and i never would want that! it’s creepy. Oh I bet mom has some fun with it too! wink. wink. to each their own i guess

    Report Post »  
  • reckless
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:21am

    Oh the fun I could have with a Flat Obama!

    Report Post »  
  • TXPilot
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:07am

    I suspect most of the members of Congress are actually cardboard cutouts too.

    Report Post » TXPilot  
  • Jaye Byrd
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:41am

    It would also be cool if our brave Men and Women (caps were intentional) could have their own “Flat Families” with them whenever they are deployed.

    Report Post » Jaye Byrd  
    • navychick
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:14pm

      I know that if I were ever deployed then I would love to take that with me. But I know that I would get one of me for my 4 year old.

      Report Post »  
    • Military Wife
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:55pm

      Thumbs up!!!!

      Report Post »  
    • BurntHills
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 3:40pm

      we wouldn’t want one of our families, we would not want it captured by the enemy and them become a stateside target for the muzz sleepers here…

      Report Post » BurntHills  
    • Jaye Byrd
      Posted on March 25, 2011 at 11:39am

      That is a good point Burns.

      Report Post » Jaye Byrd  
  • liriadavila
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:24am

    Thanks to the Blaze for let us know the struggles of these families

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:19am

    Ktsontag:

    I agree with you that the students should come togeather to discuss the modern events in a non partisan means. I wish them the best, and may all our military overseas be kept safe and come home soonest.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • UlyssesP
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:15am

    Somewhere there is a “Flat Obama” for president joke in here.

    Report Post » UlyssesP  
  • Chicago Ray
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:13am

    Whatever helps them get through it, although personally, I use video of loved ones to remember they, their voices and behaviors to remind me of how much I miss em when and if I need a reminder of lost family members and friends :( ;)

    Report Post » One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew  
    • Chicago Ray
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:19am

      In fact now that I think about it, this was a SNL skit years ago with the late Phil Hartman as the “fill in daddy” I’m almost positive, what reminded me was the last line of the story where the testimonial says “thanks for our flat daddy”…in the skit the fake dad is making out with the mom, and bad mouthing the real dad with the kids, and they go ‘we don’t miss dad at all thanks to fill in dad”.. it’s freakin hilarious..

      Report Post » One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew  
  • Apple Bite
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:07am

    Ridiculous. Today’s military families are weak compared to years past. Every military family knows that the possibility exist, that a love one may have to face action for a long period of time. Even during TDY’s, one can’t expect to see their love one by the end of the week, or even the month. I remember when my dad was deployed to Kunsan, S. Korea, back in 79. He was there for 3 or so months, my mom and I did fine without him.

    However….

    The military has been stretched pretty thin over the last decade. Seeing their families for a limited amount of time, and leaving back for deployment for 2-3 times as long. The government hasn’t done a very good job of keeping things under wraps, and the need to recruit more people is certainly there. The more people you have to rotate, the faster personnel can R&R. But since Congress had previously refused to increase the pay, most people, namely graduates (both high school and college) do their best to stay away from recruiters.

    Report Post » Apple Bite  
    • LB
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:29am

      My military family of today is weak because we seek out ways to help our 3 year old son cope with daddy not being around? How dare you… Notice that the pics and the ad feature SMALL CHILDREN who don’t really understand “duty to country,” they just know they love and miss their daddy. So glad you got through your three months of separation 30 years ago just fine, don‘t you DARE judge today’s families that are on their 3rd deployment (like us) or more. How insulting. Military families don’t ask for special treatment, but we deserve to not be mocked for trying everything we can to make the best of a year without our husbands, wives, daddies and mommies.

      Report Post » LB  
    • kelleybee
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 11:32am

      Dear Apple bite,
      The grand kids have a flat mommy and a flat daddy, since both are deployed at present. This is not a sign of weakness, dear fellow. I am pleased that you survived very nicely for the three months your father was gone. I am also glad he did not have extended deployments. But these posters are one of the coping tools for children who have not seen mom or dad for many months. Dad has deployed 4 times in their lives, and blessedly, mom has not been gone as much.

      Report Post »  
    • Military Wife
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:50pm

      I am glad to hear that your mother did a great job in taking care to make sure that you were “fine” while your father was deployed for those “long” 3 months that you were without. I sure hope that you thanked her for keeping the worry that she (as well as any wife/mother) felt locked up so that you would not sense it. Let’s think of the families ~ the mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles ~ who are making sure that the children of those deployed are fine here on the home front for the year or so that their mother and/or father are deployed! For you to say that we are “weak” is disgraceful, but then again you are probably the type to think it is okay and that a family should move on right away if they (these same families that are “weak”, in your mind) lost a loved one while fighting in this war (well over 4,000 soldiers to date). You need to be thankful for what you have and that your father was only in a war for THREE months! You are RIDICULOUS!

      Report Post »  
    • Norden
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 5:01pm

      I’m actually with Apple Bite here, and quite frankly, I am surprised that you are all taking this so personally. Honestly, how dare YOU. Why is it that whenever anyone has an honest criticism of an idea or practice, they get pounced upon because it is taken as a personal attack?

      In my opinion, this “Flat Daddy” thing IS ridiculous. People are right when their first reaction is to think it “odd” or “creepy”. It is. Just because it is done with a good intention does not make it a good idea. Photographs to show the kids what daddy looks like is one thing. Having a life-sized cardboard cutout of daddy is most definitely something else. It obviously is not to just remind the kids of what he looks like. The very fact that it is “life-sized” and placed at the dinner table and takes the normal place of the father in various situations implies that the cutout is a stand-in, a “pretend” daddy. If it is not intended to somehow psychologically cover up or mitigate the fact of the father’s absence, why does it have to be life size? Why would not a photograph suffice? I think it is dishonest and psychologically unhealthy. Not having a father around is bad enough. Having a pretend father, however, is even worse. For milennia children have had to suffer the absense of their fathers during wartime. Why do we think that all of a sudden, “good ol’ American ingenuity“ can solve the problem with this stroke of ”genius”, which is no more than a piece of cardboard? Why is it that now, more than ever before, we are having so many problems with younger generations?

      I think we psychologically shelter children too much today. There are some things children should not hear or see. But barring such instances, children should be explained the truth—explained in a way which a child could understand, of course, but nonetheless explained. We go out of our way to make a sanitized, pretend world for them. From early on children are immersed in Disney world rather than the real world. I think this could explain many of the problems we are facing with the upcoming generation today. Children can understand far more than we generally suppose, and I think we do them harm when we shelter them too much. This is in my opinion an instance of this.

      At its root, it is dishonest, and that is its problem: It is deceptive. You can’t cover up the reality of war with a poster. It is inescapable. You can’t replace dad with a dummy and pretend like things are normal. I respect that people in these situations are asking, “How can I make this easier for my children?”, believe me, I respect that. But I can’t in good conscience deny reality. That is not for me, or any of us to decide. The reality is that IT IS NOT EASY. War is not easy. You cannot make war as if it never was. It takes fathers away from their children; husbands away from their wives; sons away from mothers and fathers, brothers away from brothers and sisters; friends away from friends. It really is the worst scourge to ever plague humankind. I understand that this idea has behind it good intentions (I hope). But I don’t see it as anything other than an absurdity, a mockery and a potential harm. I offer no apologies because I mean no personal offense. It is just a bad idea.

      Report Post »  
  • lovenfl3
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:59am

    Seems a little creepy, but I wish these people all the best and thank them for their sacrifice. It’s hard to imagine how any of us would deal with that situation.

    Report Post » lovenfl3  
  • NickDeringer
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:56am

    We need to keep them in prayer.

    Report Post » NickDeringer  
  • Leadthemtothelight
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:43am

    I wish that our government thought more about these people and the consequences to their families before sending them off to fight. I wonder if Obama thought about them before getting involved in Libya?
    I did not serve in the military. My 17 year old son plans to when he graduates next year. I can only hope that by the time he deploys we have a new president. I pray that we allow the generals to plan and fight the wars rather than some bleeding heart liberal in Washington.

    Report Post » Leadthemtothelight  
  • ProgressiveLiberalMarine
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:42am

    I would be really creeped out if I deployed and my family got one of these.

    Report Post »  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:39am

    How cool! Our granddaughter sent us a “flat Sarah” or “Sally” or something years ago, and we carried her on the plane, took photos of her trip from where we lived to where our granddaughter lived. I think we had more fun than our grandchild did.

    This is a great idea rather than a “vacant hole” at the table, in the house, in the car, etc.

    Think we could make a new President and all of us carry him/her around with us???? Just thinking ahead….

    Report Post »  
  • LadyIzShy
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:37am

    I have seen this before. If it works for them by all means do it and more power to them
    May God bless our military and thier families

    Report Post » LadyIzShy  
  • jedi.kep
    Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:35am

    I don’t know what to think of this. I can see the practical use of keeping young children used to what their father’s look like, but it seems…I don’t know. Weird.

    Report Post » jedi.kep  
    • 82dAirborne
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:42am

      It is a little spooky. The families are the real heroes so I am all for whatever helps them. I think waiting must be harder than actually serving.

      Report Post » 82dAirborne  
    • TexasCommonSense
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 11:08am

      I need to get one of those of myself. I could put in my attic to scare away the mice.

      TexasCommonSense  
    • American Soldier (Separated)
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:04pm

      This seems a bit creepy. Although on my last deployment, everyone was given these little dolls that were in ACUs with a slot to put a picture in. I gave one to each of my kids and my daughter especially liked it. I can definitely see the use but a life size poster of me?

      What if the wife started to prefer that version!!! haha

      Report Post » American Soldier (Separated)  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:36pm

      This is indeed a bit wierd, yet if it works for the families benefit, then why not.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
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