I’ve talked about work travel before and how it can feel difficult – especially with little ones. Like I’ve said before, I get emotional about it; the girls get upset; and my husband is left with a big pile of tasks that we normally would divide evenly. I’ve tried to find ways to help stay connected while we are away and our book countdown is a fun one. Another thing that we’ve done – sometimes in addition and sometimes instead – is coloring sheets. I make notes to leave for the girls that have a space for them to color a picture each day. 

It’s a nice way for them to count down the days. My oldest daughter usually draws a picture of something that happened that day, so it’s also a fun thing to talk through when I get back. I was in San Diego over the summer and here is a picture of the coloring page that I came home to: Picture1.png

Day 1 they went to a swimming pool. Day 2 they went to the beach. Day 3 they went to the county fair. I guess Day 4 was just normal. She enjoyed coloring the pictures and it helped her remember some of the stories that she wanted to tell me when I got back. My younger daughter’s page was mostly scribbles and stickers, but she was also very proud to share hers with me when I got home.

What ways have you come up with to try to stay connected while away?