Home Again, Gone Again: What Children Can Learn From Having a Traveling Parent

According to Business Insider, 445 million business people took trips in 2011. That’s a lot of frequent flier miles.

That’s also a lot of families left at home without the regular help of two parents.

The schedule of a business-traveling parent who has to leave home for a few days can create some chaos for the children, and the spouse, left at home. What do you do when Dad hops on an airplane, and will miss the baseball game this weekend? What about the overwhelm for the spouse who has to deal with (sometimes last-minute) schedule changes, and a household and family to manage on her own?

There are some solutions, and it turns out kids can learn a thing or two in the process.

7 Simple Geography Lessons For Children of Traveling Parents reminds parents of those simple map skills we take for granted our children are learning in school. A traveling mom or dad can bring home (literally!) a rich geographical and historical education for children. Don’t pass it up.

Small lessons for younger children can help them understand a little about time while a parent is traveling for business. It’s an abstract concept for young kids, but these tips from When a Parent’s Away: Learning Through Distance, may offer comfort and connection as they wonder when Mommy is coming back. Materials needed: a map, a handful of stickers or push pins, and a few minutes of your time.

And for the parent left with a passel of children? You’ll need your own tool kit as you manage a normally two-parent household without the Out the Door: 4 Tips for Home Base Survival With a Parent on Call. (Yeah, I know, the help is mostly for you to help the kids, but it’s a place to start, yes?)

Do you manage a home and family with a parent who travels? What have your kids learned?