At what age does a parent traveling for work get easier for the child?

[Anonymous]

The post about the 3.5 year old struggling with her dad’d overnight travel got me thinking. I am a single mom with a job that requires travel. My daughter is 2. I have been able to avoid travel thus far, but it’s really a fluke that I haven’t had travel and my day is coming. It’s going to be so hard. My daughter is still a terrible sleeper and disruptions to her schedule upset her a lot (and make her sleep worse for days or a week plus afterwards). I don’t have a good or adorable overnight childcare solution. I keep thinking this will get easier when she gets older, but it looks like from the other thread that 3.5 is a hard age for travel too. Is there an age when it gets easier? Or will travel just always be really, really hard on DD (and me!)?

[Anonymous]

Probably 8. My boys are 8 and 10 and anyone could watch them and they would be fine.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. I don’t have an AFFORDABLE childcare option. Don’t care whether it’s adorable.

[Anonymous]

I'm a single mom to a 3.5 year old. I purposefully traveled a good amount when my daughter was 1.5 to 2 to avoid traveling now because I thought this might be a harder age. So I don't have an answer for you OP, but you might consider doing a trip now (especially if your daughter is a young 2) if you think it could buy you some additional time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a single mom to a 3.5 year old. I purposefully traveled a good amount when my daughter was 1.5 to 2 to avoid traveling now because I thought this might be a harder age. So I don't have an answer for you OP, but you might consider doing a trip now (especially if your daughter is a young 2) if you think it could buy you some additional time.

Great strategy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably 8. My boys are 8 and 10 and anyone could watch them and they would be fine.

This, mine miss Dad but then we have our special time together. I think younger would be harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a single mom to a 3.5 year old. I purposefully traveled a good amount when my daughter was 1.5 to 2 to avoid traveling now because I thought this might be a harder age. So I don't have an answer for you OP, but you might consider doing a trip now (especially if your daughter is a young 2) if you think it could buy you some additional time.

Great strategy?

I have to travel. You have any better ideas?

[Anonymous]

I would wait until you have the sleep under control if you can.

If you can’t, I mean, there really isn’t a strategy to it. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Travel could potentially be hard until DD is much older, but I’d think it would be easier if she was older and she could sleep at a friends instead of you having childcare, especially since it seems like you don’t really have options and she seems to be difficult/has sleeping issues. (And that’s not me hating my kids took forever to get a good sleep schedule!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably 8. My boys are 8 and 10 and anyone could watch them and they would be fine.

This, mine miss Dad but then we have our special time together. I think younger would be harder.[/quote

Younger was easier on the kids than me though my spouse worked so much there wasn't much difference in my routine as my spouse has always had long hours. I would say harder now on the kids because they don't have as much of a bond with my spouse. It is emotionally draining on them when they want to talk or do something with my spouse who isn't available to them much. I'll refer a child to ask my spouse about a subject or concern in their wheelhouse and my children tell me that they never see that parent. It sucks to see them so miserable. Spouse makes limited "special time" for kids, and the spouse watching them play sports doesn't fit the bill for developing an emotional connection.

I( your spouse is there when things get tough for your DD, then maybe she will be ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably 8. My boys are 8 and 10 and anyone could watch them and they would be fine.

This, mine miss Dad but then we have our special time together. I think younger would be harder.[/quote

Younger was easier on the kids than me though my spouse worked so much there wasn't much difference in my routine as my spouse has always had long hours. I would say harder now on the kids because they don't have as much of a bond with my spouse. It is emotionally draining on them when they want to talk or do something with my spouse who isn't available to them much. I'll refer a child to ask my spouse about a subject or concern in their wheelhouse and my children tell me that they never see that parent. It sucks to see them so miserable. Spouse makes limited "special time" for kids, and the spouse watching them play sports doesn't fit the bill for developing an emotional connection.

I( your spouse is there when things get tough for your DD, then maybe she will be ok.

PS my kids are in upper elementary.

[Anonymous]

My oldest is 11. It’s still hard on her, though she doesn’t cry when I leave. I guess when they leave for college. Colleagues with kids say it doesn’t get easier just the type of what you worry about changes as they get older.

[Anonymous]

I'm not a single mom so it's not the same. But dh was deployed from age 1 to 2 and it wasn't that bad as dd just wasn't that aware. Now st 3.5 he goes in a week long trip and she's a mess (and is generally a good eater and sleeper). And if I go for an overnight and she's home with him and not at grandmas (which is an adventure to her) she's worse. So not sure what to tell you. I think 6+ would be a little easier. I recall my parents both traveled some then and I was ok.

[Anonymous]

We started doing better when my kids gained a sense of time. Probably around 4.5 yo. Before that they didnt have any sense for how long 3 days was, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We started doing better when my kids gained a sense of time. Probably around 4.5 yo. Before that they didnt have any sense for how long 3 days was, etc.

Same here. My youngest takes it the hardest. She’s 7 and still get emotional. But at least now she understands exactly how long the trip is.

[Anonymous]

I would get the sleep under control. We both traveled a lot from when the kids were small, and inculcating good habits- regular bed times, sleep training etc made the whole thing much easier.

Traveling was always relatively easy for us. In terms of the kids, the older they are the easier it is. It was always hard when they were under 8 though.