Well, the time has come. Next week I'm going to be spending most of the week in Boston, like a lot of other people associated with the microbiology world, taking in the big ASM meeting. (Well, I won't be taking much of it in, I will be hanging out in a booth on the trade show floor, but you get the idea). And for the first time ever I'll be apart from the baby -- she came with me to Toronto for last years meeting. On one hand, I'm excited. On the other hand, I know I'm going to miss her terribly, especially at the end of the day when I don't get greeted by that big fabulous happy smile when I come home from work.
Since I'll likely travel a fair number of times for my job during her childhood, I want to start a tradition of bringing a little something special back for her. This will give me a Z-related mission that makes me feel like I am doing a little something sweet for her and I hope that it will give her a reason, especially as she gets older, to not feel bad about my going away. Not something large, just something small, easy to collect and transport, tough enough to withstand the love/appreciation of a child. I'm also going to try to work on a pair of socks for her. I have Cat Bordhi's most recent sock book and some lettered stitch markers from JLYarnworks all ready to go -- and I love her idea of making baby sized test socks in order to try out her general sock forms from the book. Z hardly needs socks with warm weather approaching, but making things for her makes me happy and makes me feel close to her even if she is too young to understand of know.
Any of you travelling moms have suggestions for how to make the time away from the baby easier?
Since I'll likely travel a fair number of times for my job during her childhood, I want to start a tradition of bringing a little something special back for her. This will give me a Z-related mission that makes me feel like I am doing a little something sweet for her and I hope that it will give her a reason, especially as she gets older, to not feel bad about my going away. Not something large, just something small, easy to collect and transport, tough enough to withstand the love/appreciation of a child. I'm also going to try to work on a pair of socks for her. I have Cat Bordhi's most recent sock book and some lettered stitch markers from JLYarnworks all ready to go -- and I love her idea of making baby sized test socks in order to try out her general sock forms from the book. Z hardly needs socks with warm weather approaching, but making things for her makes me happy and makes me feel close to her even if she is too young to understand of know.
Any of you travelling moms have suggestions for how to make the time away from the baby easier?
As the mom who stays home with the kids while my husband travels, I know as my daughter got older (3ish) she really liked getting e-mails from dad while he was away that included photos of where he was so she could picture him there - it seemed to help a lot with the separation. He's also been known to read her stories over the phone, or when she and I are having trouble (bad behavior, etc.) it helps her a lot to call him and tell him about it - the physical distance, but closeness over the phone seems to really help her settle down.
A journal of your thoughts about her when you're away would be a lovely gift down the road. I envy you the distance you can get from her - I'm with the kids all the time and miss out on the happiness of "coming home" to them.
Have a good trip...
As a traveling mom, I do a book. Often about the area, from a museum, something I can't find in the local Border's. Stuffed animals pile up and t-shirts get outgrown- and, you know, hashed.
Books. It's not difficult to help a toddler learn how to be gentle with books. And you will enjoy them together when you are at home. Easy to match to baby and age and interests as she grows older. You don't have to worry about the size or the color, either.
Have a good trip when you go. "Firsts" are sometimes not so fun, huh?
One of those talking picture frames with a picture of you to leave with her would be good. My husband and I always bring home "travel presents" when we travel anywhere overnight. It may be anything: a toy they want, a local souvenir, a book--just something to let them know we were thinking of them, and also so that they don't mind so much when we go away, because they know they'll get something cool when we come back! ;)
Good luck with the trip. You will both be okay.
If you take a laptop with a camera component, you can beam back photos of yourself to your home and have a little conversation. Seconding the idea of books about the place you have been. "Make Way for Ducklings" would be a classic about Boston. I have to say, though, that the favorite item my husband brought back from a trip for our then little one was a darling doll outfit. I got a kick out of imagining him at a toy store choosing that, too!
If you have the chance, get to the Public Garden (across from the Common) and get her pictures of the duckling statues to go along with the book. They're often dressed, though no one know who does it!
When I had my daughter, I expected to be gone once or twice a year for conferences and the like. It didn't end up happening more than once or twice at all before I switched gears - but at the time, I kept a plain, blank-notebook journal for her, of letters, and whenever I did travel alone I'd go postcard-shopping and add that to the journal, too.
The time goes fast, really - and the reunions are so wonderful. I've traveled for pleasure without the kids a few times in the past two years, and of course it's different because it's not work, but still - it's good to still be somebody sometimes, and not always somebody's-mom.
I started early on sending post cards back to Bunny when I travel. Frequently I beat them home, but we have a great little book filled with the places mommy (and grandma and grandpa) have been. I have purposely not gotten in the habit of bringing a gift every time because of the pressure that I knew it would put on me at some point. Now sometimes I bring something, sometimes not... always a surprise, but never expected.
Awww, rats! I gave up going to ASM this year because I'd traveled for a good part of May already . . . if I'd opted to go, I could have met you! A lot of people from my department are going, so hopefully some of them will be dropping by your booth.
Good luck with your first trip away from Z -- since I have only cats and no kids, I really don't have any words of wisdom . . .
My mum told me once that it was very weird leaving me for the first time (I'm the oldest of two) and it was almost like she didn't know what to do with her hands!
This may sound weird for a kid but my younger daughter started collecting shot glasses a few year back when she was 5. she was atte=racted to them because they were just her size and shiny. Now, when I travel, I often get one for her collection. Some of them have figures on them that make them impractical for actual use but fun for kids and definitel reflect the place they came from. They're also nice and small and not super expensive. My daughter has about 20 of them now and she recently displayed them at our library.
I've traveled quite a lot for work and for pleasure; at least once a year for a week or so, and then a couple of other times throughout the year for 2-3 days. Becuase it is fairly regular, it hasn't been much of an issue for LouLa. The hardest time was when she was up the night before a much-needed work retreat, throwing up. She also went through a period of time (from about 3.5 to 4) when she would cry and fuss when I left. I've never lied to her and snuck out, but have always talked about it a few days in advance. I call almost every evening, more for me than for her. I also tend to bring stuff back, but she's never asked for a gift.
My father was in the Navy. I remember sleeping with one of his shirts instead of a blankie or stuffed animal whenever he was away. I'm not sure when I stopped doing it, but I must have been almost in middle school.
I'm not a mom (yet), so I couldn't say what might make *you* feel better about being away. Good luck!
See you soon!
Hi Theresa
My advice is to really enjoy yourself and your freedom from the baby--do grown up things, and make the most of the time scientifically, socially and personally. If you have a free minute, sneak out to the Isabella Stewart Gardiner museum--it has an amazing eclectic weird collection of art, textiles, furniture, all in her home, which in itself is a gorgeous, over the top monument to the extraordinarily rich. Have fun in Boston!