(To all my non-military BOAW mommas, if you have friends in the military, would you share this post with them? I’d love as many military families as possible to get to watch our free Being United lesson - what an encouragement that could be!)

First off, thank you to all of our military moms out there! Whether you are living in the US or on foreign soil, serving our country is a high honor, and we thank you for your support and sacrifice. Sacrifice is a word we throw around all the time, but with the military you sacrifice living close to family, you sacrifice with your schedule, going and coming, with no say whatsoever in many aspects of life. So here are four tips for thriving and not just surviving motherhood in the military:

1- Stand by your partner- you both need the support and love of one another to get through the hard times.  Deployment isn’t easy for anyone, but when you stand united it helps the entire family. If your (or his) service is taking a toll on your relationship, I’d love for you to check out a talk Greg and I have called Being United from our Parenting Together curriculum. You can download that lesson for free HERE - because we truly believe being united in marriage makes all the difference in your family.

2- Lean into the Lord, He will be your rock and your foundation. God got me through all those years in the military and I honestly don’t know what I would have done without him.  Take all your burdens and needs to Him, you will be surprised how He will meet you right where you are. 

3- Stay busy if you’re the spouse at home during a deployment or in a busy season with their job. I always kept to-do projects around the house to keep me going, whether it was to paint a room, or straighten out my closets. When I was busy I didn’t give into self pity.  

4- Celebrate as much as you can! One thing I loved about the military was all of the pomp and circumstance.  There is so much history, and so many rich traditions in the military. Be proud of your heritage as a military family and celebrate that. 

I always say, “being a mom is not for the faint of heart,” but being a military mom takes momming to a whole new level. In 2020 most of the world has gotten a good taste of not being in control, but a military family lives that life all the time. I loved getting a chance to answer questions from moms in the military and about the military on our podcast Wire Talk this week, so check that out if you’re in need of more encouragement this week.