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Original poster

If your partner sometimes works away, do you enjoy it when they’re gone?

42 replies

Wouldawoodchuck · 22/10/2025 10:35

If your husband or partner have to work away sometimes, does it bother you or do you quite enjoy it?

My fiancé very rarely has to work away, I’d say 3 or 4 times a year he might have to cover for someone for a week. This week someone is ill so he has had to go down to London to take their place and every single person has said something along the lines of “oooh I’d love that! A bit of peace and quiet” or “I bet that’s amazing, to be able to do what you want at home” or say that they love it when their DH is away. I’m the complete opposite and I hate it so much, and count down the days until he is back.

I just wondered out of curiosity if you like it when your partner is away? I seem to be in the minority

OP posts:
BobbinThreadbare123 · 22/10/2025 10:40

Yes, I do. I love my DH to bits but sometimes I want to eat weird things for tea and starfish in the bed and put Rage Against the Machine on really loudly and dance about. I suspect he likes it when I go away with work because he wants to eat absolute shite (burgers that come in a tin - blechhh) 😆

MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack · 22/10/2025 10:42

Yes, I love my DH but also love having the house to myself occasionally. (DC away at uni).

Nall · 22/10/2025 10:43

I like the first day or so, I eat food I dont eat often, but then I miss him around the house and start counting down.

thisishowloween · 22/10/2025 10:44

Yep, I love it.

I also house-sit occasionally as part of my business and I think the break does us both a world of good. I love being elsewhere and getting a mini holiday and I know DH likes taking over the sofa and playing xbox until 2am 🤣

Upstartled · 22/10/2025 10:44

I like the change of pace and having the house to myself but I don't sleep as well. It would probably work itself out if he was gone for ages though.

LindorDoubleChoc · 22/10/2025 10:44

Yep! This year he did not have his usual 4 to 6 weeks away during the summer and I was mad as hell about it! Grin

Jaweira · 22/10/2025 10:46

Yes I love it!

I have kids so I can’t totally slob out though.

One year dh took the kids to PIL on Boxing Day and stayed away overnight without me. I absolutely wasted the day and messed about - was in my pjs by 5pm watching crap on tv in bed!

AltitudeCheck · 22/10/2025 10:48

Yes, I love it, the house stays so clean! I'll cook something simple and have control of the tv remote... bliss!

HangingStars · 22/10/2025 10:51

Mine goes away occasionally for a night but since that leaves me sorting all the kids I can’t really relax and enjoy it - he’ll occasionally take them to see his family when he’s off and I’m working in the holidays though, and those few days of peace and quiet I absolutely LOVE!

TheNightingalesStarling · 22/10/2025 10:56

Yes and no. I like stretching out, hogging the duvet, watching what I want on TV, etc.

Don't like having to do all the teenagery stuff alone and all the housework etc.

But I'm absolutely terrified that next year DHs job changes from 3/4 nights away a week to just occasional travel. Weve got used to our own space (plus how are we going to fit all his crap in the house as well, as we sort of use his place for storage....)

arethereanyleftatall · 22/10/2025 11:06

5 years ago. Yes, very much, and it was one of the penny drop moments for my divorce.

LastHurrahs · 22/10/2025 11:07

I don't either particularly love it or hate it -- it's just a change of pace. DS (13) and I probably hang out slightly differently when we're one on one. DH is the family cook, so I'm obviously responsible for that when he's away. But he's away for a night or two most weeks, so it's not terribly unusual, or longterm. Plus, for nearly ten years I spent 5 days a week away for work for half the year. DH's away in the US for ten days next week, which is unusually long these days. I'm always happy when he comes home, though. I mean, I married him. I like him.

I'm always a bit taken aback by posters on here who completely freak out about being alone overnight when their partners or spouses are away.

GentleSheep · 22/10/2025 11:09

I love it, I am able to get more things done without his schedule overlaying things (he works from home most of the time). However I am someone who enjoys and needs my own company from time to time.

mumonthehill · 22/10/2025 11:09

Dh has done this for years and I love it when he is away however I started being away with work more in recent years and he does not really enjoy it!

AzurePanda · 22/10/2025 11:10

Love my DH and we are very happy but adore having a couple of days to myself. Nice to have toast for supper and do everything to my own timetable. Would hate it to be permanent though.

Idstillratherbepaddleboarding · 22/10/2025 11:10

Yes haha the house stays tidier and I don’t have to deal with his complete inability to do anything without my input.

BadActingParsley · 22/10/2025 11:15

Yes, he used to work away a lot and I really liked it, I got into a fitness routine and ate healthier food. Now he works away once in a blue moon and I like the bit of space away from each other.

A friend's husband works away 3 weeks out of 4 - I'm not sure I'd want that much time apart - but they seem to make it work.

DramaAlpaca · 22/10/2025 11:16

I love it. DH used to have a job where he worked away three days a week, now he's home all the time and I miss having my space. I shouldn't admit that, should I? Grin

Becs258 · 22/10/2025 11:23

Generally I love it. Mine is away two separate nights most weeks and I enjoy cooking what I want, doing everything to my own schedule etc. However, once a year he goes away for 10 days + and after about a week I’m more than ready for him to come home.

blackfriday1 · 22/10/2025 11:30

My DH has a boys weekend every year and I love it. So much so the last time he went I actually said to him, completely accidentally “I cannot wait for you to go on the trip on Friday”! It just came out! I love him to pieces and we have a great marriage but he’s so untidy and 3 nights of just me and DD4 eating easy teas, the house staying in one piece, early nights, less laundry…it feels like a spa break! 😂 I’m always happy to have him home though

ChaToilLeam · 22/10/2025 11:32

I like it for a while, but if he is away for more than 4-5 days I start missing him. I work away a lot too so it's the same the other way round.

Belladog1 · 22/10/2025 11:35

My partner works away a lot. He thinks this contributed to the breakdown of his 1st marriage as he is away at least two weeks every month. But I enjoy it. I can do my own things, catch up on my trashy reality TV and eat Haribo for dinner if I want to. I always look forward to him coming home though.

AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii · 22/10/2025 11:39

YES

i adore my DH but when he’s away my routine and way of doing things is set and not interrupted by him coming home at 9pm then messing the kitchen up again (he does clean up)

ive joked before about how more marriages would last if we all lived separately but just came over to each others when we wanted 😂😂

thornbury · 22/10/2025 11:41

DH works from home so he's either at home or overseas, there is no middle ground and no workplace to visit. He can be away for up to 3 weeks and sometimes there's a rapid turnaround between trips.

I like coming home to an empty house for a change.

PrimSec · 22/10/2025 11:44

Yep. Not for longer trips, and not too often, but a night or two on my own once in a while is lovely. Was harder when the kids were small and it meant the whole bedtime routine on my own, but now they're no trouble at all and we just have a lovely chilled time. Equally, he's quite happy having the place to himself if I/we go somewhere for a weekend.