Okay, I promise, this won’t be a post dedicated to the trope of the clueless husband who can’t handle his wife being away for a few days and the chaos that ensues unless she has created a complex schematic of directions for him to follow. Because you have PlanHero for that that would be insensitive and perpetuating a tired stereotype. But let’s just pause for a moment…
Okay, then, let’s focus on something else. Like the time I had to fly across the country and leave our five small kids with my husband and the man received so much adulation and kudos for the act it was as if he had announced he built a sustainable community for orphans using only box tops and a Kickstarter campaign.
My husband handled things just fine, by the way. What got my goat was his retelling of events after he brought our youngest into the office with him.
Basically the world stopped spinning on its axis so his employees could take in the wonder of it all.
Here’s how I remember this:
Husband brings our son into the office so he can attend a quick meeting. Employees’ jaws collectively unhinge and fall to the ground as they wrap their heads around the fact he is both working and parenting at the same time (to be fair, the majority of his employees at the time were women of a different generation).
After confirming that yes, he was indeed watching all five of the kids while I was away tripping the light fantastic (in Delaware, people) and receiving accolades for being the best husband and daddy ever, he decided it would be wise to relay this scene to me.
I don’t know about you, but I have never once been stopped in public while out running errands with my kids, or commended by a co-worker when I brought a little one in because she had a half day at school and I still had work to do. Have I fantasized about this? Of course. Repeatedly.
Furthermore, I haven’t yet had to deal with wide-eyed disbelief when I mention my husband is out of town – in my case, he’s out of town every week – and field a slew of questions about how on earth I will manage to juggle everything in his absence.
Boy howdy, would that be a nice thing to deal with.
Instead, on the rare times I travel for work or pleasure without my family, I simply refer to the calendar printed out on the kitchen wall and make sure to sync any events created through PlanHero to my husband’s calendar and mosey off to live it up for a few days. This is infinitely better than the actual schematics I once papered the house with on the eve of my departure. I’m sure my Best Mom and Wife in the Universe certificate is in the mail.
What kind of preparation is involved on your end when you have to go away?
