Reading time - 5 minutes, 24 seconds

When half of a parenting pair is deployed, the other half has to suddenly switch from a parenting team to a solo act. Single parenting is a drastic change, but you can manage it with the right planning. The key things to focus on are setting expectations, communication, taking care of your children, and taking care of yourself. Read below for tips and support on preparing for and handling the transition once it takes place.

Single Parenting Pre-Deployment Tips

These tips and tricks are essential to consider before your spouse is deployed. During this transition, these plans are necessary as they ensure effective communication, safety for children, and support for the whole family throughout the deployment. Plans also help set guidelines for what to expect during this time.

Connect with Local Support Groups

Learn more about local support groups and establish connections before deployment. Get into contact with your military installation’s Military and Family Support Center to learn about various local resources and opportunities for single parenting. By connecting with local support groups, you can build your tribe of single parents that can offer support in multiple ways. 

Create a Backup Childcare Plan

Being a military parent often requires you to be in multiple places simultaneously, which is manageable if you create a backup childcare plan with two or three contacts you can depend on. If you live near a military installation, locate the closest Department of Defense child development center to explore various child care providers. If this is not an option, visit Child Care Aware of America for more information on all the programs that can provide childcare. Lastly, see if there are any local postings for babysitting services online or create a flyer searching for a local babysitter.

Make a Communication Plan

Figure out what the best form of communication will be for your spouse once they are deployed. Be sure to take into consideration the different ways you and your children prefer to communicate. Nothing is set in stone over deployments, but try to agree on the frequency in which your family will contact the deployed parent. 

Meet Neighbors and Join Playgroups

Neighbors and playgroups can be lifesavers when you are single parenting. Get to know at least three of your neighbors if you need assistance during an emergency or need some time for yourself. Grow your neighborhood connections by attending community events that help you meet other parents and neighbors who are willing to help. Additionally, you can join a playgroup or a babysitting co-op to help your children befriend other military children who may be experiencing similar emotions. Getting to know your neighbors is important because it will provide you and your family with friendship and support through challenging and joyous times.

Single Parenting Tips During Deployment 

Your relationship with your spouse may be tricky to navigate while they are deployed, but navigating single parenting is difficult too. Pay attention to these lifestyle shifts and use these ideas to help make single parenting a little easier.

Meal Prep

Arranging meals for an entire family can be exhausting. Meal preparation saves you serious time, money, and energy and allows you to focus on preparing healthy meals that everyone will enjoy. Shop for healthy groceries and try to plan meals that will have leftovers - they can be used for another meal or packed for lunch the following day. Check out blogs such as Love & Lemons or A Simple Pantry for meal inspiration!

Get Organized

Create a single central calendar for your whole family to use. Each member of the family should have their color and jot things down that they need to remember. Make it a routine to have a weekly "training meeting" for you and your family. This way everyone can review events on the calendar and make sure everyone is prepared for the upcoming week. 

 Simplify Errands and Delegate Chores

Simplify your errands by planning ahead. Create separate shopping lists for groceries, cleaning items, children’s needs, and your personal needs. By grouping your errands you can grab everything you need in a single trip, avoiding last-minute trips to the store. Simplify your chores and keep your home clean by asking for help from your children. A single parenting tip is to encourage children to choose their chores to be more motivated to get them done. 

Stick to Pre-Deployment Routines

All families need some type of “normalcy” to bring them together and set standards. Children often fear the unknown, so by sticking to routines they experience comfort and consistency. Stick to a pre-deployment routine as best you can. Don't forget to save time for a spontaneous family outing every once in a while. 

How to Support Your Children

Deployment stress and symptoms will most likely vary, depending on your children’s age and maturity. Although deployments will never be “easy”, here are some steps to support your children during this change in their life and create an open and safe environment at home. 

Be Honest

Be sure to share appropriate information about your spouse’s deployment. Discuss where their deployed parent is located and what their assignment is. Children value transparency, so be sure to try to answer any of their questions to the best of your ability. 

Listen 

Listen to your child. Pay attention to the kinds of questions they ask you and try to answer them honestly and directly. You can listen to what children are saying by using your interpretation skills: How are they acting? What has their behavior been like recently? 

Maintain Contact

Try to stick to your communication plan as best as possible! Other ways to maintain closeness with deployed parents are often through inanimate objects such as a necklace from Mom or Dad’s favorite hat. A simple way to maintain connection is for the children to write letters to their deployed parent or keep a journal with updates about the community and things in the child’s world. 

Monitor 

Monitor the media your kids consume daily. Although it is physically impossible to keep things such as natural disasters, bomb explosions, and terrorist attacks a secret, they may still be very stressful. Ask your children what they have learned about the situation, then tell them what questions they might have. 

How to Support Yourself

As one parent becomes the single parent and takes on both parenting roles, they endure their own issues and stress. Try these tips if you are in a single parenting position and need help or guidance in supporting yourself emotionally and financially.

Educate Yourself

Spend time educating yourself about what to expect before, during, and after deployment. There are so many programs and resources in the world that can help you understand various aspects of deployment and provide you with coping mechanisms. If you are continually preparing yourself for the various shifts and changes during deployment, you won’t feel so unprepared when you come across the bumps in the road.

Make Yourself Busy

While juggling all the things you have to do to take care of your children and yourself, single parenting will leave you very busy. However, there will be a few instances in which you find yourself with a surplus amount of free time. Some jobs and opportunities allow you to work from home whenever you want, which also helps lessen any financial stresses that may come with single parenting.

Practice Stress Management

You can manage stress in a variety of ways, but it starts with your well-being. Mindfulness exercises can help reduce your stress by bringing attention to the small, little things that bring joy into your life.

Take Care of Yourself

Don’t forget to take care of yourself! Remember, your oxygen mask goes on before your child’s-- you can’t take care of your children until you have first taken care of yourself. Maybe you need to cry or scream or simply talk to someone. Ask yourself, “What does self-care mean and look like for me?”  

Deployment is heart-wrenching for all military families, especially those with children. Check out this guide for military spouses going through deployment for more tips!