We dropped my wife off at the airport today. She'll be in Pennsylvania for the next ten days working on her research site for her doctoral program. The boys did well with this drop off--there wasn't any crying this time.
Sometimes I feel like putting a post on Facebook seeking sympathy for having to take care of my kids alone for the next ten days. Other dads get to do it. But it would be silly for me to do so. I'm used to taking care of my kids. Sure, I'm not alone most of the time, but I cook, I clean, I do things with the kids.
Still, it's never easy. The hardest part of a spouse being gone isn't necessarily the lack of support with tasks around the house or watching the kids. It's that you're now the only adult in the house. No grown-up conversations or interaction after the kids are in bed.
But it's only ten days. And I won't be alone. We've got friends and family. I can do it. So can you.
