Part II of the Unofficial BlogHer Stay-at-Home Spouse Survival Manual
Yesterday I blogged here about my #1 tip for helping your husband to cope with his temporary single parenthood while you’re whooping it up at BlogHer.
( Avoid sending fabulous pictures back to your mate who is stuck at home with the kiddos!)
Sure, I was half-joking, so today’s tips are a bit more on the serious side. They really helped me muddle through with the kids when my husband was away on business travel.
Got any tips? Please leave a comment and share!
#1. Read it here.
#2. Make sure the fridge is stocked with all the groceries you’ll need while your spouse is away. In our household, we’ve decided that not having coffee and beer is a “criminal offense.” Here is a pic of the beer stock my husband left before his last trip.
Upon his return, DH checks to see how much is still there – a good indicator of how things went while he was away!
#3. Think about everyday routines that may become more difficult with one person gone. For example, in my family we have two different camp drop-offs in the summer time – in two different directions. I arranged to install a carseat in a neighbor’s car and she was able to take my little guy in several mornings, saving me more than an hour of precious time each day.
# 4. It may sound counter intuitive, but inviting people over can really be less work, not more! I hosted several playdates when DH was gone – putting up with five children between the ages of 2 and 7. Believe it or not, it actually made things easier. If they’re happy, guess what? You’re happy.
5. Slow food, schmow food. I really like to take it easy when DH is out of town. Frozen organic meals? Bring ‘em on. Natural snack food? Pass the bag. Go ahead. Stock up on easy to fix meals like pasta, frozen pizza, and more. Make dinner plans as simple as possible.
6 Book a sitter for at least one night, or even for just for “the witching hours.” Get out and relax, even if just for an hour.
7. Consider paper plates. As I blogged here they even sell recycled plates at the grocery store now. Yes, I know it’s a bit of a waste, but looking at an overflowing sink is a waste too…
8. Stick to your family routines. When my DH travelled, I used to sometimes stay up past my usual bed time to talk on the phone to friends in other time zones, blog, or tweet. Then I’d pay for it the next day when I was too exhausted to deal cheerfully with the children. Abiding by routines is easier on the kids too. Stick to the routine as much as possible – make sure regular dinner time, bed times, and night-night routines are followed.
9. Prepare yourself for a mess upon your return. Make no comments on the state of total disrepair that you find the house in. If you see Mount Clothesasaurius (as my DH calls the piled up laundry), just smile and move on. (Or pick up the laundry and start folding!)
10. Book a sitter for the first or second night back. Take your DH out to dinner and a movie. Listen to him. Let him unwind.
Hope you have a great trip – to BlogHer – or wherever your travels take you. Got any other survival tips? Please leave a comment and share!
— Lynn
Copyright OrganicMania 2009
3 Responses to “Part II of the Unofficial BlogHer Stay-at-Home Spouse Survival Manual”
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Great tips. My husband appreciates the easy meals and the expectation that there will indeed be mess when I come home. The more I travel the more I learn to just relax about this (to a certain degree).
Sommer @greenmom’s last blog post..The Low Down on Melamine
Specially like the tip “but inviting people over can really be less work, not more!” this is so true. I found my children always were easier to manage if they had a friend – that’s one each!
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