To ask what people with travelling partners do...

[Marcher]

My partner has started travelling for his job. 3 weeks away, one week home.
How do I explain this to my preschooler who cries himself to sleep calling for daddy?
And how on earth do I find myself a job when I have to do both the drop off and pick up from nursery.... We live a distance from the city and I can't find a local job.

DH works away every other week, but has done this since DD was small. She accepts that he is here sometimes and not others really easily now, it just takes a bit of time for them to get used to it. Having a definite routine when your DH is around for bedtimes etc helps.

Job-wise - it is really difficult if you are the only one around as it limits your options so much. Either you have to get some paid childcare at one end of the day or work for yourself or get a term time only part time job. Can you work in the preschool? Get an aupair? Childminder ?

No advice on the job front but do you have access to Skype or facetime so that dh and dc can see each other and talk before bedtime? Dh could maybe take a selection of books with him so he can read a story to dc before bed? If kids are old enough to read could you get2 copies so dc can read aalong too or dc reads a page and then dh reads the next maybe?

Thanks hindsight. It really does limit your job options. I don't think we will be able to afford an au pair or child minder. I am happy to hear your daughter is used to the travelling thing, maybe we just need more time!

That's a good idea light. Previously when he's only been away for a few days we haven't skyped as it seem this remind/reiterate that daddy is away! But maybe if he's gone for a while I can try again with skype!

IME the children get used to it quite quickly but it does really place restrictions on the other person's career. Only you can decide if you are happy with this. In our situation dh is the main wage earner so we go with it but he does hsve to help out with school drop offs, sick days etc when he is around.

Skype and stuff.

Also if DH could bring back a postcard or something to show where he has been... like mint cake from Kendall, nothing major or too much like a present... discuss it with kids, do a Where's Wally thing, make it fun.

They'll get bored eventually (kids as well as DH )

When my DH was working abroad, we used to place the laptop on the table at tea time so he could "eat" with us. I remember my younger DD in hysterics as DH could see the trifle and appeared to be right next to it but couldn't eat it....DH kept miming licking the screen. You have to get creative and staunch and don't show your son your own feelings.

Skype is brilliant. But just a phone call is great too.

A map, showing where daddy is and how he got there is brilliant. They can look up the place where daddy is, and learn an interesting fact about it.

We both travelled when the children were small (albeit before Skype etc).
We have 3 maps on the kitchen wall, UK, Europe and the World so the parent at home could point out where the other was.
We didn't do big presents. Rule was if either of us went somewhere new we would bring back a miniature gift from that place eg Dutch clogs, Portuguese cockerel, little Danish soldier etc. or a form of food not usually available in UK (Dutch sprinkles a particular favourite). A present very time would have bankrupted us!
I used to check spellings from the airport. Bedtime stores by Skype could be good?