Any other truckers with young kids? How do you handle it?

My kids are in their 20's and it's still hard. I've only been at this for two years so mine were practically grown before I went on the road. Others will have tips and advice on how to best do it, but my only advice would be don't go OTR with little ones at home. That time lost can never be replaced. If you do go OTR, start immediately working on a plan to get a local job as soon as possible, preferably within a year or less. Just my 2 cents.

 

Family comes first. If your family don't understand what you are doing you may need to find a local job. Im not being mean but take it from someone who has been there and done that. Your wife and children have been used to seeing you daily and that will be tough on yours and their part. Just don't let the job take your family away. There isn't enough money in trucking to do that. Just be sure to take time and make what little time you have at home count. It will take a while to find the perfect balance to make it work, but it can be done.

 

Its not easy.... When I would leave, I never looked back. If mom can distract the kids as you're leaving, that helps. For me, calling home was tough, as the kids would get on the phone with the inevitable question: Daddy when are you coming home?. I would explain to them that this is what I do to buy the the things they need or want.

I hear Skype is a good way to keep in touch also, but I never tried it.
But when you return home, turn off the phone, and make the most of every minute you have with your family.

 

That sums it up perfectly.

 

Make your holidays count as well. Dad told me when I first started trucking "if they want the load on Monday just think how happy they will be to see you on Friday".

 

that is the toughest part for me. I usually leave Mon and am home by Thurs or Fri. if not I usually sleep at home 2-3 times out of the week and still sucks. Not only do your wife and kids have to get used to you being gone, but you do also.

You know what really sucks, when were on the phone and I speak to my little girls and there screaming and crying " daddy when are you coming home " like a knife to the heart.

 

I don't see how people will only spend a couple days a month with young kids, sorry, I think, and it's just my opinion, like it or not, i dont care, that's not good when they need you most. Life is short, missing those moments in your young child's life is beyond articulation for me as nothing could justify that in my heart. I just couldn't do it to my kids when they need me most. Jmho

 

Don't worry, while you are out on the road your wife's new boyfriend will take care of the kids.

 

Okay, I am the great voice of the other side speaking here. The idea of men staying home with the kids is a relatively new idea. Kids grow up. They need a place to live. That takes money. They do not need a man to breast feed them. They need a man to make a living for them. Yes you miss out on things. So what? My dad was a photographer. A small business owner. He left before I got up and came home after I was asleep. He was there every night or so he tells me. He never went to any of my ball games as he was always working. The fact that you are on the road doesn't mean that your kids are missing out on anything. It is the nature of nature. Women raise the kids. Men hunt for food. Our society has a lot of ideas that are base on false images of family life.

You have provided your children with two parents. You do your job and let the mother do hers.



Now girls don't hate me too much.