by Haris Quintana

There are few families who have it particularly rough from tie to time. Military families and families with members in the police force, firefighters, and other highly skilled jobs that can be dangerous. There are a few ways that you can take care of your military family - since it takes special care and love to do so. 

Photo by Jessica Radanavong on Unsplash

Social

There can be a lot of time where your partner isn’t around. They will be on tours, training, and exercises pretty often and for long periods of time. In many cases, the rest of the family will be in a base filled with other people who know exactly what it is like. In some cases, that isn’t possible, and you’ll be out with the rest of the world. Having a network of people around you that understand you might need extra help while your partner is away is important. From time to time, you may feel alone, so knowing you have people you can talk to is going to be imperative. 

Help

No man is an island, and everyone needs a helping hand from time to time. From picking up the kids because you have to work, putting up shelves, or fixing the car up. If you don’t ask for help, these tasks will begin to weigh heavy on you. It also means when your partner is home, they’ll be spending more time fixing things up than together as a family. Knowing you can ask for help is important. If you practice a faith, this is a great time to reaffirm your belief and seek strength when you need it. 

Entitlement

Early on, you should find out what help you might be entitled to while your partner is away, and of course, when they have finished what the retirement might be. There may be cases, unfortunately, that you’ll need to know veterans disability info. Knowing what is available before you need it will give you peace of mind. 

Self-Care

When you are alone for a short while, it can feel overwhelming, and when your partner is back, you will want to take care of them as best you can. Plan things for yourself and your partner, that means you both feel taken care of. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and resilience is something that you’re going to need a lot of. Military life can be stressful, and it can take its toll on everyone involved. So keep your stress in check and take care of yourself mentally and emotionally. 

Parenting

More often than not, you will be parenting for lengths of time alone. And when it becomes overwhelming and difficult, you can look to your network and really focus on being the best parent you can be. There will be times that the children will be upset about a parent or carer being away too. Somehow you can draw on a lot of inner strength because you have children to take care of. Never underestimate just how much you can do with a healthy helping of love.