About Samantha Curtis & her Blog
Samantha is a winner of Top 25 Military Moms - 2012
What do you love about being a military mom?
I love the overwhelming feeling of pride I feel every time I see my husband walk through the door in uniform. Every time I hear the National Anthem or see an American flag flying, I know that my husband is part of the reason our freedom is possible.
Raising a child in a military family is no easy feat. Often times, I'm on my own and left to handle the house, bills, and our son the best I can. My child's happiness is above all the most important thing in my life, and in my husband's absence I strive to meet his every need.
Although my husband's absence while deployed or training is less than ideal, the close relationship my son and I have developed because of it is indescribable. We are each others rock and strength to get through the hardships we face. I love waking up to his smiling face and his sweet kisses to remind me that everything will be okay.
What advice would you give to moms on how to build a new support circle after a move?
Be active! Don't sit around and wait for people to come to you.There are a ton of resources through your FRG, Facebook, play groups, and ACS on post. Get to know your neighbors and be kind to everyone you meet; you never know how they could help you. Everyone around you is going, will go, or has gone through what you're going through and having the support of other military wives is the greatest resource.
Some of my closest friends at Fort Drum I met on Facebook! I know it sounds weird, but there are usually pages on every post for anything you might want; children's play groups, military wives, upcoming events, etc. The more outgoing you are, the easier it will be to make friends and start developing a support system. Just remember, everyone there has left home and relocated and are in the same boat as you.
What's a tip for helping kids cope with a parent's absence?
Fortunately, my son is too young to realize when his daddy is gone. However, when the time comes and he is at the age where he knows how things work, I plan on keeping him busy, just as I keep myself busy during these times.
Instead of looking at it as X amount of days until daddy comes home, I plan to look at it as X amount of activities, places, and things we get to do, just the two of us. We are going to write to daddy everyday, take a picture everyday, and talk about him every chance we get.
I started an album on Facebook called "A Picture a Day While Daddy's Away" and I took a picture of my son everyday my husband was deployed. Not only did it keep me busy thinking of creative poses and outfits, but it made certain my husband could watch him grow and be apart of our everyday life. I plan to do other things like this if and when the time comes where my son is old enough to realize my husband is away.
What are your favorite blog posts?
