Going to training with DH?

ElleCee41809 · February 2013

My DH is going to 7 level school soon and wants DD and I to accompany him for the month he has to be there. Has anyone else done this? I know DD and I won't be covered on his GTC but I'm mostly worried about lodging. I'm hoping they'll let him switch his room to accomodate us as well and we just pay the difference. Anyone have experence with this kind of thing?

Also, DD is 9 months and we'll be driving 24 hours total from our base to his training base. Tips on keeping her comfy and happy in the car?

TIA for any responses!

HisChamaoleGirl · February 2013

I have visited my DH on the weekends while he is in school, but bc of his work and study load I wouldnt imagine being there during the week. I'd hate to distract him from his training and studies.

I would also check to see if you and your child would be authorized to stay in the hotel with him. It may be more of an issue other than just paying for a larger room.

ElleCee41809 · February 2013

I have contacted lodging and I would need a room just for DD and myself. I was just curious if anyone had gone and had a lucky break not having to pay for a room separately. As for his work load, apparently this school is a "refresher course" of everything he already knows. That's coming from upper level guys who have already done the training. We do have friends at a neighboring base so staying with them is an option. Thanks for your response!

HisChamaoleGirl · February 2013

No problem! I know everyone's situation varies so I was just sharing my experience. I hope everything works out :-)

Lissa832 · February 2013

A month? I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'd stay put.

Carnation77 · February 2013

If you contacted lodging and they said you'd need an extra room then why wouldn't you expect to pay for it? The Govt is only going to pay for his single lodging cost - not yours. So any extra expense will have to be covered out of pocket.

My husband has accompanied me to several schools and normally when he stays in the room with me in regular Govt lodging we just pay an extra fee per day out of pocket. When he hasn't been allowed to stay in the same room with me, he got a room elsewhere also completely out of pocket.

mollyxcate · February 2013

DH is leaving soon. He wanted me to go with and stay with his parents who are about 2 hours from the base hes at. With the work load he'd only be able to visit us on weekends. We decided the expense was too much. It would be a 24 hour drive for us too with a 6.5 month old. I really don't think it's good for their backs to be in the car that long. You really need to take a long break every few hours. It'll probably be a 3-4 day drive and DH didn't get that much travel time.

It's not really a vacation its really more like a TDY. You should probably consider the pros and cons.

DH didn't get home from his deployment til DD was 2.5 months, so it sucks to have him leave again even if it is just a few weeks but we decided it was best for us to stay home.

ladybugpjb · February 2013

The other posters covered the lodging part, so I'll tackle the travel part.

A 24 hour drive is going to be much longer - at least a few hours, depending on your LO. We didn't do a drive that long at that age, but did one about 8 hours (turned into 9-10) and I did a 21 hour drive when he was about 16 months - that became about 25 or 26, split over two days. My first day of driving "should" have been 12 hours, but became 14, just with stops and needing to give DS time out of the car seat. If you're BFing, you'll have to add in time to stop and take care of that.

On a couple of road trips, I sat in the back with him for parts of the ride and kept him entertained. I also gave him snacks and stuff to keep him occupied. On some trips, he was perfectly happy back there alone, but on others, he needed a lot of entertainment. Just be prepared to be able to entertain her if she gets fussy.

I used toys to entertain him when he was younger, but I had quite a variety with me since he'd sometimes reject a toy he usually loved. My Pal Scout usually worked pretty well. One time he gleefully ripped a travel magazine to shreds.

Rosebud2587 · February 2013

Lissa832:
A month? I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'd stay put.

This.

Beachy730 · February 2013

Rosebud2587:
Lissa832:
A month? I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'd stay put.
This.

Ditto. I wouldn't follow H to a school or anywhere that wasn't at least a year, and I wouldn't even consider a month with or without a baby.

Between 2 separate 24-30 hour car rides in a month, the cost of rent/mortgage in your current home alone with the cost of a hotel, and the inconvenience alone I don't ever see it being worth the hassle. Personally I would save the cost of the hotel and drive expenses and put it towards a flight and hotels to go visit him for a long weekend in the middle of the month he's gone.

iluvmytxrgr · February 2013

Beachy730:
Rosebud2587:
Lissa832:
A month? I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'd stay put.
This.
Ditto. I wouldn't follow H to a school or anywhere that wasn't at least a year, and I wouldn't even consider a month with or without a baby.
Between 2 separate 24-30 hour car rides in a month, the cost of rent/mortgage in your current home alone with the cost of a hotel, and the inconvenience alone I don't ever see it being worth the hassle. Personally I would save the cost of the hotel and drive expenses and put it towards a flight and hotels to go visit him for a long weekend in the middle of the month he's gone.

This. It's only a month.

KDS1987 · February 2013

Beachy730:
Rosebud2587:
Lissa832:
A month? I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'd stay put.
This.
Ditto. I wouldn't follow H to a school or anywhere that wasn't at least a year, and I wouldn't even consider a month with or without a baby.
Between 2 separate 24-30 hour car rides in a month, the cost of rent/mortgage in your current home alone with the cost of a hotel, and the inconvenience alone I don't ever see it being worth the hassle. Personally I would save the cost of the hotel and drive expenses and put it towards a flight and hotels to go visit him for a long weekend in the middle of the month he's gone.

This... that is a lot of work for a month. I moved with my husband for two short moves (6 and 4 months) and even that was a lot of work and we don't have kids in the mix. I for sure would not do a month. He likely won't be given the necessary time to travel by car with an infant.

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