Does anyone else travel for work?

[lasareena]

I'm on my way to the airport for a 10 day work trip, leaving my 2.5 yr old DS at home with my DP. I know they'll be fine! This isn't my first of these kind of trips, but DS is getting more aware of the fact that I'm going and how long I'll be gone for, so I'm feeling more anxious.

Anyone else away regularly for work?

Yes, I've travelled a lot for business for nearly 14 years, travelled till I was 28 weeks pg outside the UK and as it happened the day before ds was born in the UK - went back to the odd overnight at 6 months and weeks by the time he was a year old.

DS is 7 now, and treats me being away as as normal as going to the supermarket!

Yes. They are fine, I am crushed with guilt! At that age my kids found it hard but as CMOT says, it gets to be normal

Thanks for the reassurance, I know it will be fine, I'm just having a wobble!

Yes, it's the guilt. I feel guilty about leaving them, but also guilty that I'm happy to be going - really love my job, so can't pretend to myself that I'm only going to put food on the table and would quit if I had the choice :-)

That age is difficult because your ds is still little. Once they are older, you can skype or facetime time when you are on the road, which is what me and many of my colleagues do. Except that due to the time difference, I could be skyping them at 2am local time!

I find live-in childcare a godsend when I travel on business. Having our live-in aupair around to help my dh/me out means we hardly skip a beat when one of us is away. The aupair knows the school routines - which are much more varied and confusing than when the dcs were younger in nursery - and keeps that side of things ticking over smoothly.

Yes I've done it for 12 years now since my daughter was 1 and now she is a teenager. It's just normal now but I still like home best

OP I understand completely, but why shouldn't you enjoy a fulfilling job? In the long run you are teaching your DCs that woman are people with brains and needs too, and that's OK.

Enjoy the trip,enjoy sleeping star fishes shaped in the bed, room service, easy mornings etc.

Thanks everyone!

Yes, currently we use a nursery but we're keeping open minds on childcare as time goes on. DP also does a certain amount of work travel, although less than me, so this is a long term thing for us.

Hermione you're right, of course, and I tell other people that myself when they look for advice! It's the emotional side that's tough. I went to a seminar recently on Unconscious Bias and I found it so helpful in terms of understanding why I - even though I think of myself as a feminist, think of DP as an equal parent, etc - still struggle sometimes with this.

Yes, I did at that age. DD loved it (always a Daddy's girl!) and would cry when I was coming home!

She's now 6 and happy with either of us travelling. When Daddy goes away she sees it as an adventure - we have our fave foods and co-sleep, watch house programmes and so on.