I'm the father of a 13 month old boy, and my job involves a great deal of travel and staying away from home. I'm about to start a project 250 miles away from home, which means I'll be staying away 3 nights a week for months to come (I've managed to negotiate working from home on Fridays). I'm worried about missing out on milestones (first words, first steps etc) since he is changing so fast at this age.
Since I want to spend more time at home I've applied for a home-based job with another company, which I have a good chance of getting (there are 2 positions but only 3 candidates) but I'll get a massive pay cut, meaning we may struggle to pay the mortgage etc.
I really have no idea whether I should continue to pursue this new job, but risk struggling financially, or whether I should put up with working away from home. Anyone else been in this kind of situation?
It's a tough one, what does your partner think?
I think financial security is very important and struggling brings its own problems and can put a strain on relationships.
3 days a week isn't too much in the grand scheme of things and you've got Skype and face time...and every weekend at home. There are Dads that are in the forces or on the rigs that are away from home for longer and manage.
The choice is yours, and as Mojo says, 3 nights a week isn't a huge amount - could you change the arrangment so that you work away for two lots of two days in the week (ie Monday Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) - it would mean more travelling, but you keep the income and you're not away as long each time. Just another option