Traveling for Business?

Ms.Jade

Anyone travel for work? Our company's president/founder just invited me to go on the board of director's retreat next month. I know it's a big deal because only two other staff members were invited. I've already accepted and I'm excited to go, and DH is home those days so it's not a problem logistically, but I've never left E for so long! I'll be gone 4 days and 3 nights. Am I weird for feeling panicked about leaving her? How do you deal with business trips?

ss265

Ms.Jade said:

Anyone travel for work? Our company's president/founder just invited me to go on the board of director's retreat next month. I know it's a big deal because only two other staff members were invited. I've already accepted and I'm excited to go, and DH is home those days so it's not a problem logistically, but I've never left E for so long! I'll be gone 4 days and 3 nights. Am I weird for feeling panicked about leaving her? How do you deal with business trips?

Ummm..yes! Just kidding.

I had to travel for work when DS was 6 months. Honestly, I felt that my husband was perfectly capable of taking care of him and had no issues leaving DS with him. My biggest problem was figuring out how to pump and transport the pumped milk home.

I have to travel again in May when DS will be 18 months old and I am so looking forward to a couple of evenings on my own and having a full night of sleep! Just tell yourself that this is good bonding time for your child and her Dad and that it is also a good experience for him to handle her on his own.

rockychryslerb2010

E is a few months younger, but I started traveling when I went back to work at 4 months pp.  I started off with just 1-2 nights, and my longest trip (for work) was 4 days/3 nights.  We also had a ton of out of town weddings the first two years of E's life, so we got comfortable leaving him for a night or weekend with my parents or ILs.

One thing that helps me with traveling for work is I'm always super busy.  While I miss E, I know he is home with the nanny and DH while I'm gone.  He handles it OK, might ask for me a few times but never really gets upset.  I let DH decide if we should FaceTime in the evenings, sometimes E does well, other times it just upsets him.

I assume with this type of event, you will probably have nightly events planned, so you will be busy.  I would say go, enjoy the professional experience (and time away) and try not to worry about leaving LO. 

DiveFrog

I started travelling regularly for work (at least one week a month) when DD was 9 months. Between 9months and 15 months (when I weaned) My Mom came along so that I could bring DD with me on the road.

At 15months the travel amount and the work load dramatically increased (has been every week since the new year) so I started leaving DD at home. We have a good system down. I leave Monday morning and generally come home Thursday, or Friday night. We Facetime every evening so that DD and I can see each other and "talk" and say our goodnights. DH has a LOT of family support from both sets of grandparents if he needs/wants it.

This past weekend my Dad actually drove DD 3.5hrs to spend the weekend with me (when I wasn't working) since DH had to work as well and I needed to work this weekend and couldn't come home.

It isn't the ideal set-up, it certainly isn't what I/we would  want to do on a permanent basis, but for a few months to allow me to work on this project, and get this experience it has been a good decision. I will not lie emotionally it has been very hard to be away from DH & DD so much, but it also let's me stay focused. When I am at work, I work, and when I manage to be home I do NOT do any work (no email, calls, data analysis etc.)

For one off events like you are referring to I think it will be much harder on you then DD, and once you do it and see how relatively easy it is, you will wonder why you stressed so much about it.