Business Travel and The Single Father

Traveling regularly as part of your job or profession adds an extra bit of challenge to the mix.  Not only do you have to worry about work, reservation, flight schedules and the weather, you also have to worry about your child, their welfare, who they will be with and when you will see them next.  Being an exceptionally close father, traveling for work can be an exercise in frustration.

The issues are compounded if you have sole custody of your child and is exponentially more difficult if you have more than one.  Now you have the welfare and well-being of “children” when you are out on the road.  Multiply your anxiety and add on some paranoia for good measure.

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way

You have control of your life, not the travel.  If you have full or sole custody of your children your role as a parent will be stressful.  What can you do to help?

If you can afford it, hire a nanny when you are away.  A nanny who helps with the kids can be a huge benefit.  Not only can you be choosy about your nanny, but so do your kids.  Find a person who gets along great with your children, has the ability to be on time and multi-task and who puts your kids FIRST.

Involve your family.  If your parents of close siblings live close, maybe they can take your children in while you are away.  This is a good way to bring your family, all of it, closer together.

Involve the other parent.  This is really up to you.  If you have sole custody there are probably good reasons that you do.  Use this option sparingly, but remember that your children have a mother (or father) too.

I traveled extensively for a previous employer and it was hell. I love my child immensely and being taken away from work almost every week made me pile on the guilt.  Sooner, rather than later, I had enough and made the decision to break away from my work-hell and get a good job near my child.  Feelings of regret and remorse can haunt you and cause you to have increased feelings of self-doubt.  If you feel you are caught in this funk, I’d urge you to drastically think about your life and work balance and made adjustments where you see fit.

Travel can be fun, and it can be more enjoyable if you share it with your children.  Talk to them often while you are gone and try to keep them involved so that you all still feel close for the times that you are away.  Why not buy them a T-shirt? =)