Trying to Get Back to ‘Normal’

Finding Your "New Normal" in Military Life

For military families, maintaining a sense of normalcy within the home means adjusting and adapting to their service member’s schedule, whether it’s a deployment, TDY, training rotation, in the field, or last-minute relocations.

So, how does a military family create their “normal” in this military life?

• Manage your expectations – Your expectations are for you and your family. Normal for you may not be the same normal for others.
• Reintegration takes time – Each member of your family (especially children) has their own set of emotions about what they’ve just experienced. It often feels like a mixed bag of feelings that don’t seem to make sense, especially when one of you may be in a joyful emotion while another is sad and confused.
• Communicate – Having the freedom to communicate without judgment is crucial in validating how each person is feeling.
• Children need to be recognized, too – While they may not fully understand what’s happening, they are living through it and experiencing the readjustment as well.
• Healthy boundaries – You need to do what’s best for you and your family. It’s okay to say no and allow you and your family a time to reintegrate without so much noise from the outside world.
• Support – It’s okay to not be okay. Whether you have a trusted friend or need to talk to a professional, there are resources available to support you and your family through this time as you get back to “normal.”