This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chevrolet via MSB New Media. The opinions and text are all mine.
We’ve been a military family for almost thirteen years now, and it’s definitely been a journey. There was even a brief moment where I had just had a baby, was in the middle of nowhere, while Mr. Air Force was gone eighteen hours a days for days on end. As a new military spouse, with not a lot of coping skills on my back burner this was a pretty low time in my life. Quickly though I gained some amazing skills – reintegration, transition, solo-parenting…I got mad skillzzz! Then the kids started growing up. They were in need of some skills of their own, and it was up to me to provide those for them.
1) Plug them in ~ This one has proven to be the most valuable during most of our transitions. Getting them out and involved in their community gets them feeling normal. While there is a certain amount of “circling the wagons” that occurs during any time of upheaval, getting back to a “normal” of sorts has been successful for you. We find a church, get the kids involved in an outside activity and become involved in all of those things ourselves. It’s like an extra fast root grower!
2) Be open and honest ~ Life sometimes throws you a few curve balls, whether you are military or not. Talking about what is happening and being honest with your kids lets them feel involved and heard. In our home we have lots of pictures of our friends from our previous locations, and with technology being as amazing as it is, we can communicate so well with our friends and family that really meant a lot to us. We talk about the times we had, and saying that they miss “so and so” isn’t an uncommon occurrence. So we stop and talk about it, pick up the phone and call that person…or maybe even pick up a pen and paper to write a good old fashioned letter.
3) Take care of you! ~ I can’t even begin to tell you how important this last one is. Even though it doesn’t technically have to do with the kids I know that when I’m not taking care of myself things don’t exactly go well around the house. My stress and anxiety isn’t exactly something I can hide very well and I’m guessing neither can most people. Taking my own advice, and applying it to me, goes a long way to making it happen for them.
It can be a struggle to remember that it isn’t just about me. I’ve got three little humans relying on me for all the physical stuff as well as all the emotional stuff. Navigating the roads of military life is always an exciting one. You never know what might come your way, but as clichéd as it sounds your family is what gets you through. The community around you is also an extremely important part of navigating those new roads. It’s beautiful partnerships like the one I’m honored to be a part of, that makes us feel appreciated.
#Chevy Salutes
How is Chevy helping military families find new roads? Well, during the month of May Chevy is offering incredible discounts to service members, including the National Guard and Reserve (which is extremely important to our family). Their discounts are below MSRP, and the Military Discount Program can even be combined with other amazing discounts, like the one for USAA members. You really can’t beat that if you are in the market for a new vehicle. Their Military Discount Program is one of the top programs out there among car companies, which is why it is so important to them during this month to share that with us.
Military families are constantly finding new roads that lead them to their new homes, new friends and new adventures! Do you have a story of finding a new road? Hop on over to Instagram and share that with us to win amazing prizes.
