wvasweetness
New member
This is week #4 of DH working out of town (Sunday - Friday), and I had thought (hoped) that it would be getting a little easier by now.
It *has* gotten a bit easier for me... for the first 2 weeks I was exhausted, but am feeling a little better now. And since Wes goes to sleep at 7:30 I still get some time to myself... although, those are the times I find myself missing DH the most.
BUT, Wes doesn't seem to be warming up to Daddy being gone so much. He does act out at certain times, but for the most part he seems to be mad at Daddy for being gone. He refuses to talk to him on the phone or on Skype, and will start to throw a fit if I talk about Daddy to him, like "tonight we will have to tell Daddy on the phone what a good boy you were today" or "why don't you tell Daddy about music class", etc.
I have found that if I don't mention Daddy much at all and don't suggest that he talks to him on the phone/computer, Wes does fine. I've also realized that being at home triggers more acting out then being away from the house - I guess b/c that's where Daddy usually is?
I did make a little chart for Wes (I called it the "Daddy Calendar") that has the days of the week (he's very into what day it is anyway) and we have a little magnet that we move to each day... that way he can visualize how many days are left before Daddy comes home. But he now refuses to look at it and crosses his arms and starts stomping if I suggest that we see what day it is on the Daddy Calendar.
Two nights ago when I tucked him in for bed, right as I was walking out of his room he said in a low voice "I want my Dad." I got so teary eyed and went over and hugged and hugged him in the dark and told him that I missed Daddy too and that he would be home very soon to have fun with us. He then said "Can I have his blankey to sleep with?" It was so sweet, but also broke my heart. So now Wes sleeps with a full size quilt in his bed.
I know that Wes has done really well for a 2.5 year old adjusting to a big change. It's just... hard. Any suggestions for things I should (and shouldn't) be saying/doing? For example, I thought that talking about Daddy a lot was a good idea, but it has turned out to be the opposite!
It *has* gotten a bit easier for me... for the first 2 weeks I was exhausted, but am feeling a little better now. And since Wes goes to sleep at 7:30 I still get some time to myself... although, those are the times I find myself missing DH the most.
BUT, Wes doesn't seem to be warming up to Daddy being gone so much. He does act out at certain times, but for the most part he seems to be mad at Daddy for being gone. He refuses to talk to him on the phone or on Skype, and will start to throw a fit if I talk about Daddy to him, like "tonight we will have to tell Daddy on the phone what a good boy you were today" or "why don't you tell Daddy about music class", etc.
I have found that if I don't mention Daddy much at all and don't suggest that he talks to him on the phone/computer, Wes does fine. I've also realized that being at home triggers more acting out then being away from the house - I guess b/c that's where Daddy usually is?
I did make a little chart for Wes (I called it the "Daddy Calendar") that has the days of the week (he's very into what day it is anyway) and we have a little magnet that we move to each day... that way he can visualize how many days are left before Daddy comes home. But he now refuses to look at it and crosses his arms and starts stomping if I suggest that we see what day it is on the Daddy Calendar.
Two nights ago when I tucked him in for bed, right as I was walking out of his room he said in a low voice "I want my Dad." I got so teary eyed and went over and hugged and hugged him in the dark and told him that I missed Daddy too and that he would be home very soon to have fun with us. He then said "Can I have his blankey to sleep with?" It was so sweet, but also broke my heart. So now Wes sleeps with a full size quilt in his bed.
I know that Wes has done really well for a 2.5 year old adjusting to a big change. It's just... hard. Any suggestions for things I should (and shouldn't) be saying/doing? For example, I thought that talking about Daddy a lot was a good idea, but it has turned out to be the opposite!
I don't have any advice, but although my husband isn't technically 'out of town' for work, my kids only see him maybe 2-3 nights per week because of his schedule. A lot of days he has turnaround shifts and the kids don't get up until around 9, so they won't see him for a couple of days at a time. I guess maybe they're just used to it? I really should only be talking about my 2.5 year old, because obviously my 12 week old doesn't know a tictac from a bowling ball, but you know what I mean. My 2.5 year old used to ask for daddy all the time and it would just make me so sad, but now he's pretty much stopped asking. Maybe that's even more sad, I don't know. 
). They don't mind at all now, and they are happy when we go pick him up on fridays. Some weeks they want to talk to him a lot (skype/phone), and some weeks not at all. I just let them call him when they feel like it, and don't mention it if they don't.