Remember when business travel was exciting? You looked forward to the annual conference in Munich or “dropping by” the Tokyo office. Once you have a family, however, business travel no longer looks quite so inviting. What can you do to ensure that your travel has a minimum impact on your family?
Once you have booked your airplane tickets, start preparing for your time away. Make sure the bills are paid, cancel any appointments you may need to, and confirm that arrangements are made for your children. Talk to your children about where you will be going and for how long. Depending on the age of your children, give them a couple of days notice before you are leaving town. Younger children have difficulty understanding time, so use a calendar to mark your departure and return dates. The child can then mark off each day and do a countdown until you return home. Use a globe to show them where you will be going.
Consider telling your child’s teacher or caregiver that you will be out of town for work. Teachers/caregivers employ many tricks to help children feel secure when one of their parents is traveling, including special art projects and books. Here are a couple of recommended books:
- The Magic Box by Marty Sederman and Seymour Epstein
- When I Miss You by Cornelia Maude Spelman
- When Mommy Travels, drawings by Emily Bolam
- When Daddy Travels, drawing by Emily Bolam
Knowing that you are out of town may also help teachers/caregivers address behavior issues that they see in the classroom.
Hearing your voice is very comforting to children. Schedule a time to talk on the phone every day or keep in touch using Skype or FaceTime. However, keep in mind that it may be difficult to keep in touch due to time differences or technical difficulties. Sometimes, simple is better . . . before you leave town, record a couple of favorite bedtime stories to be played nightly. Children may also enjoy a daily note from the traveling parent.
When you arrive home, make sure you plan to spend an hour or two catching up with your children. They will have many stories to share with you and will want to know about your trip – and maybe collect that special souvenir you brought home for them!