DH’s who work away from home...

Do you have family that can help?

My Dh worked in Aus for 5 months last year. Thank god I had this website for adult chat in the evenings! I'm lucky my parents are in town so if needed I could call them in an emergency, not that I needed it.

Make sure you have friends with hubbies in case you need something that only a man can do, cause sometime we can't do everything.

Hiya, my hubbys away for work about 4 nights each week, and there's no routine, its just random. Also he regularly spends a couple of months at a time overseas. We have also just moved to a city where we know noone, have no family and im unable to work at the moment...so its a bit tough, i get pretty bored & lonely if i don't make an effort.

But I deal with it by trying to go for lots of big walks (MS permitting!), DVDs, skype - not just to DH, but to lots of friends, lot of library books, girly nights in (doing 'maintenance' stuff that I hate DH seeing me do anyway!) and making a big effort just to get out and do stuff.

Its quite funny, as when DH is away for a long time it almost annoys me when he comes home as I have developed my own routines, he tries to help put but just gets in the way! You will probably find that you become quite used to doing stuff on your own, but you really appreciate the time when he is home.

Hopefully you have a good support network of friends and family around you. Does yr DH get lots of time off in between each stint?

My Dh goes away for work regularly usually for 3-4 week blocks couple of times a year, this year hasn't been so bad as I've been away with work as well.  I can always reach him by phone if I need too. I was concerned as he had an accident and I couldn't reach him.

As for me being home same ole thing as when he's here tbh, I go to work and get on with stuff as normal. Due to DHs work I live in a town where I don't know many people, thank heaven for OB and FB as my life lines to the rest of the world.

For me its been part of our relationship from the beginning I think it would be stranger if he was home all the time.

My Dh is away at least half the year every year, sometimes in 6 month blocks (when overseas) sometimes in 3week-2month blocks throughout the year. it's been part of our relationship from day one so I haven't had much say in the matter.

I've found it a lot harder since having kids though, because you get no downtime (well you will with a toddler, but with a toddler and 3mo I'm basically busy 5am-11pm each day).

Make dates with friends you don't catch up with regularly, go for walks, chat online to people. You really need to keep up the adult communication otherwise you'll go insane.

I always write a list of things to do when Dh is away, like painting, sewing, house reno (that he usually doesn't know about til he gets back ) I've also found that the time he's home everything kind of stops - I guess because he's away so much we try to make the most of every minute he's here. Which means the house is a mess, nothing else gets done etc.

Make sure you have bestmates on your cellphone or something so hubby can call you and Alex once in a while (not everyday (well I don't think its necessary anyway) as it makes time drag).

The hardest parts - not having muscles around the house so having to ask other people to help, having to pick up all the slack, no sleepins, kids acting up each time he leaves (but DS is getting a lot better and has only cried once this time), getting snippy at each other because you get so used to your own space its hard to adjust again... but it also means you get a wee honeymoon period every few weeks

I don't think we could do the 'normal' couple thing where he had a 9-5 and was home all the time. I do like this lifestyle more, but its hard work for both partners which your DH needs to remember (as DH's quite often forget its hard for the wife too).