Family Life in the British Army

What You Can Expect

If you already have a family, or plan to have children one day, you may be wondering what it’s like to juggle family life and a career in the British Army.

The demands of Army life are different, so it’s important to think about how it might fit around the people who matter most to you.

First off, you don’t have to choose between having an Army career and having a family. The British Army supports serving parents and carers with help covering childcare, education, housing, parental leave, flexible working and family welfare.

So, what does that actually look like when it comes to everyday life with kids or a partner?

Yes, you can have a family in the Army

Having children does not mean you have to rule out an Army career. Thousands of soldiers build a career and a family while serving.

Even if you already have children, you can still join the Army. If you’re thinking about joining as a parent, it’s a good idea to discuss this early in the application process. The recruitment team can guide you to the right resources and give you a clear sense of what to expect. This is especially important because you’ll need to know how much time you’ll be away for basic training and make arrangements for childcare, if needed.

The important thing is that being a parent is not something you have to leave at the door.

You might be away from home, but not all the time

Being a parent and being a soldier means having two important parts of your life to balance. There may be times when work takes you away from home, just as there may be busy periods in any other job. Exercises, training and deployments can all mean spending time apart from your family.

But how much time you spend away from home will depend on your job, your training, your unit and what you’re doing at the time. If you’re working on base, you’ll have most evenings and weekends free just like a civilian job.

For new recruits, you’ll have scheduled weekend breaks while you’re in basic training, and the Army encourages you to spend that time with friends and family at home.

There is specific support for families with two serving parents and extra planning may be needed to help you balance duties and family life.

No matter how long or short your time away from home, planning ahead and having people around you who understand Army life can make a big difference.

Childcare is part of the support

Being a working parent means thinking about school runs, nursery, after-school clubs and what happens when your working day doesn’t quite match your child’s day.

It’s no different for parents in the Army. For us, it also means extra planning around busy periods, exercises or deployments.

Eligible parents can still access childcare for military families, including Tax-Free Childcare and Wraparound Childcare. The Army Parents Network is also a great forum where serving parents can find information, advice and support from people who understand what it’s like to balance parenthood with military life.

Moving house can mean moving schools too

Army life can involve moving to a new part of the UK, and sometimes overseas. For a family, that means more than packing boxes. But you won’t have to work all of it out on your own.

You might be thinking about what happens when your child has to move schools after a new posting. It can be a big change for children, especially if they’ve made close friends or are settled in their current school.

Some Army families may choose boarding school over local options to ensure that their kids have a consistent school experience. The Continuity of Education Allowance is available to help eligible families with this choice.

If your child attends school locally, the school can receive a Service Pupil Premium. It’s a small sum paid directly to the school and is designed to help them provide meaningful support to children with parents in the Armed Forces.

Family housing can help you stay together

Your Army career does not mean that your family has to live somewhere completely separate from you. If you are serving and have a family, you can access subsidised Army family accommodation on or near your base.

The exact home you may have can depend on your circumstances, your posting and what’s available.

A new posting can mean moving your whole family to a new area. That can be exciting, but it can also mean finding a new home, school, childcare and local friends. Wherever your Army career takes you, you’ll get the support you need to help you settle in.

Support for new parents in the Army

If you’re planning to have children, the Army will support your family as it grows. You can expect dedicated support through pregnancy, adoption leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, and upon returning to work.

New parents in the British Army get up to 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave.

If you are pregnant, the demands of your role may change for a period of time. Your duties and activities will be risk-assessed throughout your pregnancy to protect your health and wellbeing.

When you’re ready to return to work from parental leave, the Army will also provide the support you need to make the transition as smooth as possible.

To ensure that you’re getting the right support at the right time, it’s important to let your chain of command know that there’s been a change in your family circumstances as soon as possible.

Heading overseas as a military family

Army life can sometimes take families outside the UK. That might sound like a huge change.

If you’re posted overseas with the British Army, your family will be supported every step of the way. Your unit is a great resource to help you prepare for the move and settle into the new location.

Depending on where you’re posted, your child can continue to go to school either on base or at a local school.

Moving overseas with a family can take a bit of planning, but the support you’ll get is top notch and you’ll know exactly what’s happening long before the big move.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone

You won’t be the first Army family having to figure all this out. And you don’t have to pretend that everything is easy. Asking for help is part of looking after your family.

The Army Parents Network brings serving parents together and provides information and advice about family life while serving. You can ask questions and get first-hand feedback on childcare, moving schools, pregnancy, parental leave, bereavement leave, and moving overseas.

There are also welfare services and support available to help families deal with the less straightforward parts of family life. Life doesn’t always go to plan so that extra bit of support can go a long way.

It won’t always be simple. But there is always support. At the end of the day, your family can be part of your journey in the Army