My husband’s work requires him to travel often. Here are some tips to survive motherhood when husband is out of town.

Every wife deserves a supportive husband. Not only does it make the wife happy, it is also essential to maintain the balance of power inside the household. 

In marriage, you vow to submit half of your life to your spouse. In that way, you partake in each one’s resources, habits and character. 

But what if husband’s work requires him to go places, and of course leaving you the entire household, and hold on, not just for days but a week or two? It is never easy, as in never. 

Being a mother of THREE with a husband who is always out of town, I follow some life saving tips and tricks to save my sanity when I’m alone managing the household. These are simple ideas but can definitely unload the work.

1. Plan and cook meals ahead

Few days before the husband travels out of town, I am rummaging through the fridge and see what I can easily cook or not. I prepare food then freeze so I can just throw them in the fryer or microwave. 

I cooked ahead. Meals the following day are cooked at night. Sometimes I prepare two sets of meals, for the baby and for big brothers.

2. Follow a strict schedule

Kids are known for dawdling. So to avoid being late to bed and school, we follow a definite schedule.  It is also good to let the kids know how much time they have and the repercussions if they don’t follow.  

Following a schedule develops a pattern and later on will help you save time for nagging and repeating yourself over and over again.

3. Sleep when you can

Sleep when the baby sleeps. This is true especially when you finish household chores late and make room for self time then going to bed at midnight.

I remember my husband telling me to not be too hard on myself.  So as much as I can, I nap with the kids.

4. Put the phone down

How many minutes do you spend browsing your phone in just one seating then to multiply it to the number of times we check the phone? It is a lot right. It can even be for hours.

My average phone usage is 6 hours a day. It is because I monitor my baby through the phone  when he takes naps and even bedtime while I do chores. But still, hours have gone by. 

Imagine spending these wasted hours on cleaning, preparing meals, laundry. You might be surprised you already accomplished tons of work.

5. Distribute household task per day

Don’t overwork yourself. Space out tasks per day. I can do the laundry on Monday, clean the bathrooms by Tuesday, or deep clean the floor on Wednesday. 

Remember, baby sitting is already a tiresome job. So, I make some room for rest.

6. Breathe / call a sounding board

There will always be time that I feel like losing it. Given a baby who needs caring 24/7 and a school boy who still needs supervision, dawdles and treats everything as playtime, I might need a solitary place.

I just breathe, call friends or family members. Engaging with my kids when I am outraged will result to unpleasant situation. It would be best if I keep my distance then come back when I feel better.

7. Use a baby carrier

It might cost you a bit but definitely worth it. If you’re on a tight budget, you can opt to pre-loved baby carrier as long as it does the job,

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I have a high need baby which means he needs me all the time. He always wants to be carried even if I offer toys and distractions. Having a baby carrier helps me to move around the house.  It is also a good tool for putting the baby to sleep.

8. Stock-up the fridge and cupboard

To help me save time in making quick frequent trips to the grocery stores, I stock-up.  Going to the store to pick-up items will take me at least 45 minutes including travel, attending to baby, walking and window shopping (how can I resist?). 

Having groceries within my reach is a good time and energy saver. 

Do you think I got everything covered up after all these tips, of course not.  I’ll never get used to husband going out of town. When I lose myself, I still cry.

I wear my messy buns. My shirt smells of milk and baby food. No face powder the whole day. I have a guest when I go to the bathroom. And I eat with one hand.

But getting the day done is rewarding when you watch your kids sleeping soundly at night. Tomorrow will be just another day.