Business Trip Again? Tips for Preparing the Kids for your Absence

Travelling for business may sound great when you are single and have no one to leave behind. You visit many countries, meet different people from different cultures and all of them add positive points to your career. Although it may be too tiresome time to time, travelling –no matter it is for business or tourism- is undoubtedly fun. However, things start to change if you are a parent and you need to leave your kid or even kids behind when travelling for business. Even if you are an adult and know very well that it’s an obligation to do that business trip, it’s difficult for your kid to understand that. You know that you have to work for their future and you are doing the best job that you can do to provide almost everything for them. But bear in mind that the feeling that this distance gives is tougher for them than it is for you.

Still, it is relieving to know that there are some ways to diminish the negative effects of your leaving. By following these tips, you can prevent unhealable wounds in their hearts and make a stronger connection between you and them. What’s more, your business trips will be much more efficient as you’ll no longer need to be wrapped up with them during your travels.

Use technology to get closer

• The golden rule is that you should try to keep in touch with them during a day. Now that you live in this era, you can take every advantage of the technology can’t you? Video chat apps can help them feel you by their side anytime. Even if your kid is not able to speak yet, he/she’ll recognize your face and voice and it will make them feel safe.
• If your kid is able to, playing remote games together will be a great idea for sharing moments together with your kid and for showing them you still enjoy doing things with them even if you are not there physically.

Exchange your favorite items

• You can leave some surprises under their pillows or in their school bags! Then call to ask if they received your surprise. It will make them cheer up and feel that you still think about them while you are away. 
• Ask them if you can borrow one of their favorite belongings to take with you emphasizing that it will remind you of them when you miss them.
• Leave one of your favorite things for them to use it. It can be your mug, your t-shirt, your pens or your desk. It will make them feel closer to you while you are away and feel themselves more important.
• This is one of the things that I’m sure you never skip but I’ll mention it again, anyway. Bring interesting souvenirs for them from where you are going. 

Do something together even if you are away

• Don’t skip your daily routines even if you are away. You can still read them bedtime stories thanks to video chat applications or you can at least record your voice beforehand. So they can sleep listening to your voice again, just like you are with them again.
• Make plans together before you leave for your business trip and promise you will do those things together as soon as you return. And if there’s a possibility for you not to keep your promise, never tempt do tell them about such plans in order not to cause any disappointment. Spending some together is also vital when you return because they may need to talk to you about what they have been up to while you are away and if you don’t listen to them because you have no time, it will be a real trauma for them.
• Start a collection of something that you can bring from each country that you visit like magnets, key rings or whatever that they can like and make them responsible for this collection. You’ll see that they will be excited for the next part!

Inform them about every detail of your trip

• Give every detail of your travel to them. Where, when and why you are going, where you will stay and when you return all matter for them. You can also show where you are going on the map and tell them some information about the city you are going and inform them about the time zones.

Make them feel themselves important

• Tell them you’ll make a call as soon as you arrive there and do it. 
• If you are travelling far away or if you have to stay long, consider taking your family, too, if it is possible. It may be a great vacation opportunity! 
• If your trip coincides with their special days like graduation or birthday etc., try cancelling or at least postponing your travel and be with them. Yes what you read is true. Your kids are always more important than your job and if it is once in a lifetime or if they believe it is so special for them, you can consider not going if it is not beyond your power because kids are not likely to forget such things. If you really need to go, then send them some special presents or at least postcards arranging them to deliver on that very day.
• Never kiss them goodbye when they just go to bed. It’s the moment when they feel lonely at most and it’s not a perfect timing for saying this. So if your flight is early in the morning, for example you can do it at the dinner time while you are eating your meal happily.