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How to Navigate Motherhood When Your Spouse is Deployed

January 14, 2018 by Jaimi Erickson Leave a Comment

Ready to have the ENERGY to be the best mom you can be? Get started! Thanks for stopping by!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of 1 Natural Way, a TRICARE breast pump provider. All opinions are entirely my own. Please view my disclosure for full details.

Going through a deployment? I have been there too-multiple times. This is my list sharing how to navigate motherhood when your spouse is deployed. What would you add?
It was the most challenging time of my life. Surviving a deployment as a military spouse can take a lot of patience, and a lot of personal strength. I had to dig deep for strength and patience going through deployment with small children. Whether this is your first deployment or your 5th, how to navigate motherhood when your spouse is deployed takes some tips.


5 Tips to Navigate Motherhood When Your Spouse is Deployed

Rely on your support system

This is a gut instinct, but many women do not reach out and ask for help. We all want it, need it, and often feel it is not available to us.

Ask.

Ask your long distance friends to be thinking about you and sending positive thoughts and prayers.

Ask your local support system if they can come over and hang out one Friday a month, or watch your children so you can get your hair done.

Don’t try to navigate motherhood when your spouse is deployed alone! Accept the help that is offered, and do not be afraid to ask friends for help.

Get connected to mom groups

This saved me during my last deployment. Four kids, parenting alone, sleep deprivation, and a new community where I knew no one was what I faced. All of our deployments have happened right after moving to a new location.

When you do not have a local support network of friends, make one!

I joined a moms group at a local church and met one of my most favorite friends because of it. Her husband was deployed at the same time and place as mine too.

It was the connection I needed and cherished. She is still one of my favorite friends. It was a proactive step I took to make friends.

Visit family

There are military spouses that go home for an entire deployment. I don’t. I love my family, but I love my own home and routine too. I like to visit family when my husband is gone, but not stay the entire deployment.

When my kids were not yet in school, I made sure to take advantage of the freedom I had to make my own schedule.

We traveled to see family a lot. Grandparents visited us too. That helps break up the time-and gave me free babysitters to get a break! Let family visit and take the time to visit if you can.

Going through a deployment? I have been there too-multiple times. This is my list sharing how to navigate motherhood when your spouse is deployed. What would you add?

Know your military spouse benefits

My husband’s second deployment happened just 6 months after our first child was born. I was still breastfeeding, just learning to be a mom, and trying to figure out a daily schedule. To navigate all of that alone was overwhelming.

1 Natural Way is a program that can help you navigate motherhood while your spouse is deployed. They offer breastfeeding supplies and education and can help you navigate the early months of motherhood.

1 Natural Way is the premiere in-network resource for the highest quality insurance breast pumps from Medela and Spectra to TRICARE members. They offer Medela, Spectra and Kiinde brands.

Getting a breast pump and monthly delivery of new supplies takes a huge stress off of new moms who want to continue breastfeeding despite going through a deployment. 1 Natural Way can contact Tricare and your doctor for you, and help you navigate your benefits as a new mom and TRICARE member. 

1 Natural Way has the easiest process in the industry backed by reviews from moms everywhere.

They make it their mission to make the process of receiving your Tricare breast pump enjoyable. All breast pump models are covered under your Tricare insurance plan at no out of pocket expense to you. This includes the Medela Freestyle and the Spectra S1 Breast Pump, and the Medela Pump in StyleTote/Backpack.

Get all of the information on 1 Natural Way and how to apply here.

Going through a deployment? I have been there too-multiple times. This is my list sharing how to navigate motherhood when your spouse is deployed. What would you add?

Take care of you

There is a deep need for moms to care for themselves in the midst of motherhood. My biggest tip for how to navigate motherhood when your spouse is deployed is take care of yourself!

It is so much easier to take moments for yourself when your husband is gone because there is one less person needing your attention each day.

Don’t get me wrong, I prefer my husband at home, not deployed. I do however make sure that I take advantage of the time I get to take care of me when he is gone.

After the kids go to bed, I can take a relaxing bath with DIY bath salts. I make a little mom spa kit and do a face mask, drink lemon water, and apply a DIY body butter that is divine. I use my essential oils to treat myself (and help keep my emotions balanced throughout the day too). That is a deployment necessity!

Put on your comfy slippers, grab a cup of tea and veg out to chick flicks! Whatever you love, spend time doing that to take care of yourself.

Have you experienced a deployment yet? What are your tips?

Going through a deployment? I have been there too-multiple times. This is my list sharing how to navigate motherhood when your spouse is deployed. What would you add?

Successful Mom Daily Checklist to help you gain balance between housework and play time with the kids. Get more done, and feel more successful as a mom and homemaker.

Enjoy your time at home!

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Filed Under: me time, motherhood, motivation Tagged With: 1 Natural Way, deployment, military, military life, military spouse, sponsored

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Want free homeschool curriculum or summer learning Want free homeschool curriculum or summer learning activities? Grab a book from the library! 📚 🌟 

Within a few minutes of skimming this one book I found at least a few weeks’ worth of learning activities for our unit on the middle ages. Best part is they are hands-on, cover all subjects and it was free!

It is not expensive to homeschool or supplement your child’s learning at home. I am loving what we are learning now. 

What are your children learning about right now?

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“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” - Audrey Hepburn

I spotted her just looking at our little seedlings. The peace of doing with our hands what we have learned with our mind is so satisfying. 

Tomorrow we can plant our first seeds in the outdoor garden beds. I am so excited for the simple task.

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Focus for art + dirty finger nails from playing in Focus for art + dirty finger nails from playing in the woods. 🎨 🌲 

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What are your plans for the weekend? #friyay We What are your plans for the weekend? #friyay 

We are having a few neighbors over tonight. (Obviously not locked down here. 👌) 

I am thankful for like minded people. 

I am thankful too for friends that are not always on the same page. 

I am thankful for God’s word that teaches us to create and build community in love. 

I am thankful for Fridays. 💗💗💗

What are you thankful for today? 

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Today’s schooling looked a bit like this. 💕 L Today’s schooling looked a bit like this. 💕 Library, reading, painting the toy that came in the kids meal, reading time, and calm. 

When I think about my homeschool style (aka structure) it has definitely evolved over the years. I never really researched a style until today actually. 😂 What I found was, we started as Traditional - workbook-based learning. Then I added Unit Studies to our Traditional structure. Now we naturally have shifted to a more Charlotte Mason + Unit Study approach for some subjects and Traditional approach for a few subjects (math most specifically). 

Flexibility keeps our interest. Plus learning never stops.

Today our day began with a visit to our library. When we got home the kids all found a spot and were so quietly reading I did not want to shift gears! So I didn’t. 

There was reading, eating, drawing, painting, and so much quiet you guys I just had to let the kids go with this. My brain was soaking in the peacefulness.

When I started homeschooling, I would have never thought that a day like this would make me feel successful. It feels so good to have reached this point. 

When days happen like today, it feels pretty much like magic. 

What is your style if you homeschool? If not, what style would most appeal to your family?
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You know what’s funny? I took this pic not even You know what’s funny? I took this pic not even noticing what random things were out of place. 😅 Perfect for this post today. 👇

Motherhood is a juggling act. We try to seek balance and be joyful, but kids, husband, house, our needs and wants all pull us in different directions.

We worry that if we drop one ball they all will come crashing down! We are busy, yet not feeling productive many days. The line between needs and wants become blurred.

Attempting to keep it all organized is overwhelming. 

We tend to define balance with images in magazines, snapshots of other moms who are
having a together day when we are not, or elaborate spring cleaning tasks that sound great and get pinned but ultimately leave us feeling even deeper in frustration when we do not complete them.

*****
Balance is not a place where you go and never ever again feel a bump in the road.

Balance is an on-going, always changing, never finished job. 

*****

If you feel out of balance today, you are just in the process of working your way back to it. 

If today was a great day, prepare yourself now because the scale may tilt and things may feel out of your control tomorrow. #reallife

It is not easy to cut things from our calendars or limit our focus each day. I feel that struggle so much. My whole family needs and deserves my time and attention. I am constantly in a state of re-balance, and making attempts to re-organize, as I attempt to balance four children and a husband.

That requires a lot of humility, prayers for God’s peace in my life, and relieving myself of any guilt for not doing it all every day.

Do you see the items out of place in this pic or are you focused on the beauty within it? 😉💕

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#homeschooling
#homeschoolinglife
#AD Today was hard! School took longer than expect #AD Today was hard! School took longer than expected, grocery shopping got pushed back, and I am soaking up my time to get quiet and pray it all away. 

I have discovered simple, quick ways to feel refreshed staying at home. With four kids, homeschooling and military life I can not just get a break when I feel I need it. 

These ideas have helped me feel rejuvenated in small moments even when I can not get out of the house to have a break.

One of the simplest ways to recharge is with a good old hot shower. I think it pretty much cures mom overwhelm and stress. I always planned my showers around the kids’ quiet times. That way I could take my time.

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I put together a helpful list of ways to help us moms feel refreshed.

They are simple actions we can take to care for ourselves each day. I even have some ideas from my friends here on Instagram too! 

Check out the tips from my friends on the blog (via link in bio):

@thewholeparenting

@brandyintheatl 

@joqueen_and_family 

@coffeechaosandcuddles 

@pnicole_05 

What are your favorite hair, skin or spa products to make your pamper time feel special?

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I spy two creatures who naturally love nature, wat I spy two creatures who naturally love nature, water and most of all dirt. 😍

Are your kids the outdoorsy, adventurous types? Anyone just over having clean floors with all the wet boots and feet going in and out like me? 🙋‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I can handle dirty floors for all this nature play without a doubt. 

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#AD Yesterday we had some talks. Things got a litt #AD Yesterday we had some talks. Things got a little tense. There were tears because she was embarrassed about what she did and said. 

I made sure to go to her room after things cooled down (where she was sent for her behavior) and ask why, talk about my reason why, and then she decided to come down and eat her dinner. (The whole issue was that dinner included a green vegetable...😅😂)

Everything returned to contentment. We all smiled. This is real life and real parenting. Our emotions clashed but calm logic brought things back in focus.

Today we can laugh and be silly thinking about it. 

What is the most recent heated or challenging moment you’ve experienced with your kids lately? Did things get resolved? 

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How have you been taking time to recharge while st How have you been taking time to recharge while staying at home? Making my list of favorite ways to refresh ‘cause moms with full schedules from morning to night need some simple ideas to get in quiet time. 👏 Do you need recharge time?

I like keeping it simple. 👌 Luxurious shampoo and body butter to maximize the spa feel after a hot shower, Bible study in the morning with my coffee, walking the dog solo are just a few of my break ideas. (I think hot showers are a cure all for a lot of stress! Time to think, feeling the strain wash away...all good things.) What do you think?

Since I have been a #stayathomemom for 13 years now, my kids have always been around and my time has been devoted to home and family. But I NEED time to have quiet and just be alone too. 

That means I have to squeeze in my recharge time in creative, simple ways. 

I am going to finish up this blog post and share it all with you. Share what you do too! I would love to give you a  mention you in the post. 👩🏼‍💻 💕

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When you really focus on fear, isn’t it pretty s When you really focus on fear, isn’t it pretty silly how much we let it run our lives? 

Anyone who knows my 7 year old daughter knows she has a “no fear” spirit. She can be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. She is always moving, seeking out fun and not intimidated by the unknown.

As a parent I both admire and cringe. 😅 

I find that I have to suppress my fear when it comes to her adventurous spirit so I do not diminish her true nature. I also have to be on the ball from a parenting perspective to talk through being smart while having fun. 

It is not as if we can ever see the results from the actions before we act though. 

Remembering myself how I truly only know what I see and what faith teaches me allows me to focus on eliminating fear from ruling.

For many years I was the opposite of my wild child. I was always thinking too far ahead to see what potential pain may come. That suppressed my nature. I see my kids so social, so eager to try new things and it energizes me to set that example too. 

Fear is not a worthwhile debate partner. 

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” ~Proverbs 31:25, NIV

Do you wrestle with fear in parenting and life in general or are you more of the no fear type?

#nofear #resistfear #faithandlogic #adventurousspirit #truenature #enneagram #enneagramparenting #personalitytypes #wildchild #wildandfreechildren #freerangeparenting #freerangeparents #instakids #instamom #instablogger #parentingmindset #goexplore #explorenature #natureschool #sahmsg #easternnc #eastnc #camplejeunelife #militarykids #militarylife #godledmotherhood #godledhomeschool #motherhoodsocial
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