New routines
My husband is scheduled to go out of town for 10 days.
He’s looking forward to the trip, but, it occurs during a busy time of the school year and there are quite a few things going on with the kids.
Now, I know by some standards ten days isn’t very long. I have the utmost respect for military families and single parents, but, this ten days will be a significant departure from our regular routine, and, that’s the only thing I have to compare it to.
We talk a lot around here about routines for surviving, especially when both parents work outside the home, but, now I have to figure out how to make a temporary new routine work for us when he goes, and, get everyone where they need to be, and, keep doing my job.
Also, there’s got to be a little homework and reasonable bedtimes on the side.
Next thing you know, someone’s going to tell me kids have to have dinner every night, too, huh?
This should be interesting.
I am fortunate that my MIL will be here to help me, but, she’s 83, and, I feel like I’m adding a responsibility in a way.
Like I said, “interesting”.
Wow, that will be a challenge. My husband goes away for a couple of days at a time now and again and I manage with that – not sure how I’d cope for 10 days. When I was growing up, my dad worked abroad in Saudi Arabia. He would be away for 3 months and then home on leave for 3 weeks, then back to work. I cannot tell you how much respect I have for both my parents when I realise (retrospectively of course – kids are selfish) just how hard that must have been.
Make sure you don’t fall into the usual mum trap: running yourself ragged to make sure everyone else is okay and then finding yourself eating handfuls of cereal out of the box at midnight instead of fixing dinner for yourself!