My wife travels for business every few months. As a stay at home dad, my job is even more difficult during these business trips.
The evenings are the most challenging because you do not have a second set of hands helping with the bath or with the bedtime routines. If you have a tough day with your kid, there is no relief at night to go take a walk and get some fresh air or go to the gym. I feel more isolated.
There is no manual that I have stumbled upon to help you address the increased workload, isolation, and challenges of handling your child by yourself for the week. One thing that I am going to do to give myself a break is use my parents to babysit one day/night in the middle of the week. Another option is to have some friends come over to my place one night after my son goes to sleep so I am not isolated, and get to hang out and blow off steam. I will certainly catch up on my DVR shows like 24 and Lost. One friend joked, “can’t you set up that baby monitor after your kid goes to sleep and watch it from your local bar.” Wishful thinking!
These trips only last a week and are not permanent, but they sure make my stay at home dad job more challenging! What do other dads do when their wives go away for work? What do the moms do when their husbands travel for work?
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