When we were stationed in Japan with two young kids, I learned to despise those little phases of separation. For some amount of time that usually fell between two and 30 days, my husband would bounce around the Pacific. Back at home, I would silently protest making dinner (because I’d be the only one eating it anyway since our kids were firmly in the chicken nugget and grilled cheese phase of youth), put on my fun mom hat until bedtime (to minimize the meltdowns and 20 questions about when Dad would be home), and then spend my evenings quietly relaxing with a dinner of popcorn or charcuterie in front of a binge viewing of my favorite TV show.
What I Learned When I Left My Service Member Home With the Kids
For the past two decades, while my husband was serving in the Marine Corps infantry, I spent a lot of time taking care of our five children by myself. We were never …
