Let’s just call it what it is: solo parenting while your service member is deployed, away for training, or just working long hours is a full-on survival sport. Actually, it’s more like an Olympic-level endurance test—except there’s no medal at the end, just a sticky toddler handing you a half-eaten string cheese at 6:03 AM.

To make things trickier, especially for moms, there’s this unspoken (yet incredibly loud) expectation that we’re supposed to do it all—and do it flawlessly. We’re told to keep the kids alive, the house clean, the meals Pinterest-worthy, and our bodies toned, all while somehow looking Instagram-model-ready and possibly holding down a full-time job. However, let’s be honest: that’s not reality. Reality is reheating your coffee four times, wearing the same leggings for three days straight, and Googling “Can toddlers survive on fruit snacks and vibes?”

Add military life into the mix, and it’s a whole new level of chaos. Military spouses are asked to juggle more than most—and we often do it without a consistent support system. Constant PCS moves, overseas isolation, and having to start over in unfamiliar places can make it feel nearly impossible to keep everything together without dropping your mental health in the process. Let this sink in: you’re not failing. You’re just doing something really, really hard, and if no one has told you yet today—you are doing an incredible job in impossible circumstances!

So, in honor of the unsung warriors holding down the home front while their partner is away—whether that means surviving on fruit snacks and fumes or rocking yesterday’s leggings with pride (which are now basically your issued uniform)—this series is for you. Stay tuned for five sanity-saving tips to protect your mental and physical health while solo parenting through the trenches of military life, because you deserve more than survival. You deserve support that meets you where you are—preferably not during nap time or right after the Commissary closes. Also, when you’re ready for the next step, check out our next article in the series, Outsource Without Shame, for practical ways to lighten your load without the guilt.

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