I used to travel once or twice a year for work for about 4-7 days at a time. Not so bad in the grand scheme of a 52-week, 365.25-day year. But my job has changed over time, and now I travel to conferences about 6-8 times per year for 4-6 days at a time, and then I do a bunch of little one- and two-day trips sprinkled throughout the intervening weeks. This tends to wear on this working mommy, her little ones, and her hubby.
One of the things that saddens me most about being away is missing the bedtime routine. Yes, when I'm at home I often think it's a pain, but when I'm away on my own I suddenly become sentimental about it. I realized rather quickly on my trips that logistically there was no way I could help with bathtime while I was sitting in a hotel hundreds or thousands of miles away, so that was out. I couldn't do the changing of the boys into their jammies or the tucking in. Sigh. So those tasks were out. But wait! What I could do was read them a bedtime story! I mean, what are all those minutes on my cell phone for, anyway, if not to connect me to the people I love?
After this realization, the next time I had a business trip I snagged 2-3 slim children's books that my older son was known to enjoy, and I tucked them into my suitcase. That first night I was away, I called around bedtime (this can be challenging if you are in another time zone, but if you aren't available at the real bedtime, hey, you can always just read a story by phone during another part of the day) and read one of the stories to him (his baby brother was already in bed). Now, admittedly, he has not always wanted me to read him a bedtime story when I call, but it's the attempt that makes me feel better. While I'd love for him to let me read to him each and every time, knowing that I tried to be part of bedtime assuages a part of the guilt that I carry with me whenever I leave the house. And it lets me know that he's OK without Mommy, at least for a little while.
If your little one might enjoy hearing your voice reading a favorite tale while you are physically unable to participate in the bedtime rituals, you can either handcarry the actual book with you (this works even better if you have more than one copy so the little one and Daddy or another caregiver can look at their copy while you read from yours) or type the story into a Word document before your trip and read it to your cherished one from the glowing screen of your laptop. Not as nice for you as if you had a real book in your hands, but hey, you're a grownup and can handle reading a story without pictures. ;)
Next time you have to be away from your child(ren), consider giving this concept a try. You might find that when sharing a little piece of your child's day through the magic of technology, that hotel room you're staying in doesn't feel quite as far from home after all.
Things I promise not to take for granted
3 years ago
1 comment:
This is a fabulous idea! Very smart to type the story up (even if you just print it out and carry it in your handbag).
I memorized Goodnight Moon last May so I could recite it to my munchkin while I was in Atlanta. The first night, he cried when I started reciting (but that might have been because I was standing on a street corner outside a restaurant, and he could hear the cars going by...what are you doing, mommy?!); the second, he laughed and we only made it through the first few lines. But by the third evening, he was reading along on (and this time it was me who was crying).
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