How do you handle kids when daddy leaves for work?
I'm trying to see if there are any moms out there that are married to Over The Road Drivers. If so, how do your kids react everytime daddy has to leave for work? At what age did they (if ever) not get upset when he left. I'd like to hear from you and maybe we would compare notes.
Tags: Drivers, Kids, Over, Road, The, of
Views: 8
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Mary Salvato on -
My husband is a bartender so he usually works evenings. Kiddo has special needs so sometimes it can be tiring, but I try to stay on a schedule.
-
Permalink Reply by Keri Houchin on -
We haven't been in this situation exactly, but I think I know what you're going through. A few years ago, I was working during the day and going to school at night. My husband was in grad school and working part-time during the day. Obviously we never saw each other and rarely saw the kids! Our routine was basically this: Dad goes to work, Mom drops the kids off at school/daycare and goes to work, Dad picks the kids up and takes them home, Mom leaves work and swings by the house long enough to change clothes and leave again, Dad puts the kids to bed.
What did help was making sure that we ate every meal together when possible. Schedules allowed for breakfast most days and supper on occasion. We also had weekends. We made sure that we spent weekends as a family doing fun stuff (chores can wait for the hectic week)!
Our kids are now 4 & 6. Two years later, they still remember when Mommy & Daddy were too busy. It was very hard on them and us! They frequently cried and acted out in frustration. Ultimately, the solution was for us to both graduate (plus I now work from home). The only thing I can suggest is to make the most of the time you do get to spend together.
-
Permalink Reply by Judy J on -
My husband gets deployed at least once a year for the Army. As the kids get older, it's affecting them more and more. We have them draw pictures for him and he calls routinely to talk to him. We're not at the age where they stop getting upset and they go through the periodic missing/crying moments but I give them a picture of him and then I have them tell a "once upon a time" story to help divert their attention. My husband was in Iraq a year ago and he left for Kuwait this past April for a year.
-
Permalink Reply by Hayley Hewitt on -
My hubby is working in the mines at the moment and goes away for 10 day slots. I am amazed by how well my 5 and 6 year olds are coping with it. They jump all over him when he comes back though, lol.
-
Permalink Reply by Tonya Hall on -
Judy, I would like to send you and your husband a huge Thank you for the service to our nation. I am very proud of all our mitilary people and the families that support them. I do pray for his safe return. I can not imagine not getting to see my husband for a year. When he first went to driving school, we did not get to see him for about 3 months. That was hard enough. My dh does get to come home sometimes on weekends. Although there have been times when he has been out for 2 weeks. The kids usually don't let him get through the door before the hugs and I missed you come. My middle son is the one who has never liked daddio leaving. As a toddler, daddio would have to sneek away. Because of the fit our son would throw. Now that he is 11, he doesn't throw fits per say. But he does act out in other ways. Like over picking on his younger brother and older sister, not doing school work even though he is a straight A student.
Judy Joyce said:My husband gets deployed at least once a year for the Army. As the kids get older, it's affecting them more and more. We have them draw pictures for him and he calls routinely to talk to him. We're not at the age where they stop getting upset and they go through the periodic missing/crying moments but I give them a picture of him and then I have them tell a "once upon a time" story to help divert their attention. My husband was in Iraq a year ago and he left for Kuwait this past April for a year.
-
Permalink Reply by Tonya Hall on
-
Hi Hayley,
Wow, mine workers never occured to me. Sorry for that. I glad to hear they are doing well with daddy being gone for days at a time though. Thank you for your reply!
Hayley Hewitt said:My hubby is working in the mines at the moment and goes away for 10 day slots. I am amazed by how well my 5 and 6 year olds are coping with it. They jump all over him when he comes back though, lol.
-
Permalink Reply by Tonya Hall on
-
Hi Keri,
Thank you for your reply. It is quite hard when they are that little. But I do agree that making good quality family time is important. Their daddio has always tried to call as much as possible and has made one on one time with each of them. Our middle son is still having problems at 11 yrs. of age. Although we try to keep to a schedule, daddio's schedule does not always jive with ours.
Keri Houchin said:We haven't been in this situation exactly, but I think I know what you're going through. A few years ago, I was working during the day and going to school at night. My husband was in grad school and working part-time during the day. Obviously we never saw each other and rarely saw the kids! Our routine was basically this: Dad goes to work, Mom drops the kids off at school/daycare and goes to work, Dad picks the kids up and takes them home, Mom leaves work and swings by the house long enough to change clothes and leave again, Dad puts the kids to bed.
What did help was making sure that we ate every meal together when possible. Schedules allowed for breakfast most days and supper on occasion. We also had weekends. We made sure that we spent weekends as a family doing fun stuff (chores can wait for the hectic week)!
Our kids are now 4 & 6. Two years later, they still remember when Mommy & Daddy were too busy. It was very hard on them and us! They frequently cried and acted out in frustration. Ultimately, the solution was for us to both graduate (plus I now work from home). The only thing I can suggest is to make the most of the time you do get to spend together.
-
Permalink Reply by Judy J on
-
Thank you, Tonya! I never realized what they meant about the entire family serves when one does until I married my husband. It's amazing how frequently some like my husband are deployed leaving the spouses home to more or less become a single parent. Being married to someone with a traveling career is not much different as you still bear the brunt of the word. Kudos to you too! Your kids will learn valuable lessons with your efforts in reaching out to make it easier on them. :)
Tonya Hall said:Judy, I would like to send you and your husband a huge Thank you for the service to our nation. I am very proud of all our mitilary people and the families that support them. I do pray for his safe return. I can not imagine not getting to see my husband for a year. When he first went to driving school, we did not get to see him for about 3 months. That was hard enough. My dh does get to come home sometimes on weekends. Although there have been times when he has been out for 2 weeks. The kids usually don't let him get through the door before the hugs and I missed you come. My middle son is the one who has never liked daddio leaving. As a toddler, daddio would have to sneek away. Because of the fit our son would throw. Now that he is 11, he doesn't throw fits per say. But he does act out in other ways. Like over picking on his younger brother and older sister, not doing school work even though he is a straight A student.
Judy Joyce said:My husband gets deployed at least once a year for the Army. As the kids get older, it's affecting them more and more. We have them draw pictures for him and he calls routinely to talk to him. We're not at the age where they stop getting upset and they go through the periodic missing/crying moments but I give them a picture of him and then I have them tell a "once upon a time" story to help divert their attention. My husband was in Iraq a year ago and he left for Kuwait this past April for a year.
Latest Activity
© 2013 Created by Megan Calhoun.
