Travel as single parent

[Ru25]

My boss has started wanting me to travel to Paris every few weeks or so for work and as a single parent with a child on the spectrum it’s really difficult to manage especially at short notice. Anyway the latest trip he’s asked me to do to meet someone is basically going to cost the business over 1000 pounds and I’ll only be meeting someone for couple hours and journey is 6 hours each way. I’ve tried to say it makes more sense to do the meeting remotely in this instance but he’s insisting I go. It’s easy for him as he’s got his wife at home with his kids and doesn’t seem to understand my situation. What should I do?

Its unfair OP, and I say this as a single parent with disabled child, but if this is the expectation, I would look for another role. You sound like you've reached your threshold with it, but if it continues it will become a bigger and bigger issue.

First step I would take is to discuss expectations with your line manager, then make an informed decision from there.

Thanks. Good to get another opinion as feeling so nervous about it as I also can’t afford to be out of work.

This is why I was unemployed for such a long time because every role would require at least initial induction to be on site or at a hotel overnight.
My son is gonna be 15 this year and this will be the first opportunity. I’ll have to get back into my old job as an SDR.

It just seems so wrong that we can’t be given more understanding/flexibility. We would love to travel it we could I’m sure!