As we know, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to our children. Parenting Perspectives is a blog series which aims to share posts from other parents that take an alternative view to “traditional” parenting, whether by choice or not.
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This week, Jenna from http://www.thentherewerethree.uk/ shares her experience of long distance parenting when her husband works away. Read how she makes the long distance parenting work.
I always vowed that I would never be in a long distance relationship; I was always in the mind-set that they could never really work out. Therefore, I was very surprised to find myself in one in 2013. The person I had met worked away for eight weeks at a time and was then only home for three weeks.
Fast forward to 2015 I was giving birth to his daughter without him by my side; he was thousands of miles away in the Middle East and did not get the chance to meet his daughter until she was three weeks old.
Going home from hospital without my partner was daunting and stressful
It was just my baby girl and me. However, it did allow us to set a routine without having to worry about it being broken.
When our daughter was eight months old, my husband left his job to come back to the UK – this was Christmas 2015. If I am honest, I am still not used to it. Although, we are both glad that he was able to be by my side for the birth of our second daughter in the summer of 2017.
Now he works away Monday to Friday as a HGV driver and is only home at the weekend.
During the week I am, essentially, a single parent.
Everything to do with my two daughters is down to me – there is no sharing of any tasks. A big part of me is fine with this. Our routine stays in place and I am less stressed, as I know that I am the only one able to deal with the girls.
However, there are times when it is frustrating; when the girls are in bed and you realise there is no milk left. Having no adult company in the evenings can also get to me at times.
Come the weekend, I cannot wait to talk to an adult. However, I am usually so exhausted from the week that I am in bed by nine. I also get very frustrated if our routine is broken, as I then tend to have a nightmare toddler on my hands.
This type of parenting may not work for everyone
For us it does, as it is all that we have ever known. Although it will not be forever, our eldest now picks up that her dad is going back to work and tells him not to go. In addition, I plan to go back to university to train as a midwife. Eventually, he will need to get a “normal” nine to five job. Nevertheless, for now, I am enjoying having the bed to myself and watching what I want on Netflix in the evenings.
To find out more about Jenna, visit her blog: http://www.thentherewerethree.uk
You can also find Jenna on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
If you want to read more Parenting Perspectives posts then visit our Parenting Perspectives page.
