Should parents who travel a lot for work always bring back soemthing for kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t mean something big. More like a postcard, a hotel one, a unique local candy, etc.

DH always used to being DD something on trips. Recently he’s stopped. DD is really hurt. He’s also stopped texting or FaceTiming during trips. He’s argued that there isn’t time and he’s too busy.

I traveled extensively for work until DD was in K and there was never a time that I couldn’t at least get a cute cocktail stirrer from a lounge bartender or a postcard from the hotel stationary drawer. FaceTime was sometimes hard when the time difference was weird but when I knew it would be really off I would leave a note to open for each day.

I think DH needs to step it up. These are 7-8 day trips that include weekend days and he’s missing a lot. He’s flying in business and first fwiw.

What do you think, traveling parents?

No OP you are wrong

He’s working it’s not play time

Why does your kid need gifts all the time?

[Anonymous]

Frequent traveler here. On business trips, I"m too busy to Facetime and make it work timezone-wise. Day-long meeting or conferences, then business dinners, then after that I have to deal with emails from back at the office so I am lucky to get 6 hours of sleep a night. It's not all fun and games.

I bring back something if my kids specifically ask for it (like a Labubu doll), or some funky food item, but I do that may half of the time at most. My kids aren't too interested in anything I may bring back from Boise or Calgary, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a mom and don’t like FaceTiming while traveling either, and I’m definitely not having an affair. My workaround is to send/receive video messages. I do always bring them something.

As someone who is really bad at videos, I think that’s way more work than FaceTiming! And my DD would watch it over and over. -OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frequent traveler here. On business trips, I"m too busy to Facetime and make it work timezone-wise. Day-long meeting or conferences, then business dinners, then after that I have to deal with emails from back at the office so I am lucky to get 6 hours of sleep a night. It's not all fun and games.

I bring back something if my kids specifically ask for it (like a Labubu doll), or some funky food item, but I do that may half of the time at most. My kids aren't too interested in anything I may bring back from Boise or Calgary, for example.

OP and DH and I share a Netflix account. I can see that he has time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t mean something big. More like a postcard, a hotel one, a unique local candy, etc.

DH always used to being DD something on trips. Recently he’s stopped. DD is really hurt. He’s also stopped texting or FaceTiming during trips. He’s argued that there isn’t time and he’s too busy.

I traveled extensively for work until DD was in K and there was never a time that I couldn’t at least get a cute cocktail stirrer from a lounge bartender or a postcard from the hotel stationary drawer. FaceTime was sometimes hard when the time difference was weird but when I knew it would be really off I would leave a note to open for each day.

I think DH needs to step it up. These are 7-8 day trips that include weekend days and he’s missing a lot. He’s flying in business and first fwiw.

What do you think, traveling parents?

No OP you are wrong

He’s working it’s not play time

Why does your kid need gifts all the time?

They don’t need a big wrapped gift. But if he’s not going to text or call and he misses huge chunks of their lives, would it kill him to grab something small and interesting- even if it’s something free- to show that he thought of them over the course of 8 days away?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a mom and don’t like FaceTiming while traveling either, and I’m definitely not having an affair. My workaround is to send/receive video messages. I do always bring them something.

As someone who is really bad at videos, I think that’s way more work than FaceTiming! And my DD would watch it over and over. -OP

PP here. There are no good and bad videos home to kids! It’s not like I script them. My biggest hits though have been reviews of my hotel room when I’ve gotten a bad one — I do a commercial and try to convince the viewer to stay in the sewage motel.

[Anonymous]

He should bring some freebies like hotel pens, pads, airplane socks, snack. And then mix it up with postcards or a small trinket. He should spend 4 minutes so that his kid knows he loves her and thinks about her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a mom and don’t like FaceTiming while traveling either, and I’m definitely not having an affair. My workaround is to send/receive video messages. I do always bring them something.

As someone who is really bad at videos, I think that’s way more work than FaceTiming! And my DD would watch it over and over. -OP

PP here. There are no good and bad videos home to kids! It’s not like I script them. My biggest hits though have been reviews of my hotel room when I’ve gotten a bad one — I do a commercial and try to convince the viewer to stay in the sewage motel.

I love this. I never would have thought of it and I’m inspired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He should bring some freebies like hotel pens, pads, airplane socks, snack. And then mix it up with postcards or a small trinket. He should spend 4 minutes so that his kid knows he loves her and thinks about her.

OP and that was my argument. And he still said he didn’t have time. They literally hand you half that stuff on the plane. Give the kid a pad of paper with a foreign city on it and she’d be happy for a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should bring some freebies like hotel pens, pads, airplane socks, snack. And then mix it up with postcards or a small trinket. He should spend 4 minutes so that his kid knows he loves her and thinks about her.

OP and that was my argument. And he still said he didn’t have time. They literally hand you half that stuff on the plane. Give the kid a pad of paper with a foreign city on it and she’d be happy for a week.

Is he really going where he says he’s going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should bring some freebies like hotel pens, pads, airplane socks, snack. And then mix it up with postcards or a small trinket. He should spend 4 minutes so that his kid knows he loves her and thinks about her.

OP and that was my argument. And he still said he didn’t have time. They literally hand you half that stuff on the plane. Give the kid a pad of paper with a foreign city on it and she’d be happy for a week.

Is he really going where he says he’s going?

Based on boarding passes that drift through the house, yes. He’s a paper hoarder.

[Anonymous]

My husband always brings back little trinkets for the kids. If there’s a local food he’ll bring some and he always gets a magnet. He brought gingerbread from Germany and almond candy from Morocco.

Their grandfather is at the top of his field and travels constantly. He always brings little presents. He tried tshirts one year but it was comical how badly he recalled the kids sizes. He always brings something though, because the grandkids always ask about what country he’s visited since they last saw him. 90% of the time I can tell it’s something he bought in the airport.

I think a man putting up a wall between his family and travel time is indicative of an affair. He doesn’t want to think about his daughter while he’s banging his side piece.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should bring some freebies like hotel pens, pads, airplane socks, snack. And then mix it up with postcards or a small trinket. He should spend 4 minutes so that his kid knows he loves her and thinks about her.

OP and that was my argument. And he still said he didn’t have time. They literally hand you half that stuff on the plane. Give the kid a pad of paper with a foreign city on it and she’d be happy for a week.

Like everything with men:

If he wanted to, he would.

He doesn’t think your kid is worth the effort.

[Anonymous]

A short call maybe, but depending on where he’s traveling to, it may be too late on his end by the time the kids are back from school.

I traveled a lot, called when I could, sometimes the time difference was too big, their mornings would be busy for them to talk and their afternoons would be too late on my end.

I used to travel for 2-3 weeks at a time. So longer than your dh.

When kids where under 8, I knew where the local toysrus, hamleys and equivalents were in all my business trip locations and always brought gifts. As they got older, the options of toys became more limited and they were more interested robux / xbox gift cards so we did that for a while, where they’d get gift card when I got back.

Now, I still bring small souvenirs or candy if there is anything unique or interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should bring some freebies like hotel pens, pads, airplane socks, snack. And then mix it up with postcards or a small trinket. He should spend 4 minutes so that his kid knows he loves her and thinks about her.

OP and that was my argument. And he still said he didn’t have time. They literally hand you half that stuff on the plane. Give the kid a pad of paper with a foreign city on it and she’d be happy for a week.

Like everything with men:

If he wanted to, he would.

He doesn’t think your kid is worth the effort.

No, free or cheap junk is crap that I don't want around the house, I'm sure OP's husband doesn't either. Stop being ridiculous.