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Is your husband traveling for work? Boy do I feel ya, sis. During our nearly 32 years of marriage, I recall a 6-month stent when his work didn’t require him to travel. Where’s my medal?!
Anyway, now that the kids have flown the coop, I travel more with him, but responsibilities still prevent my leaving – caregiving, babysitting, general home fire burning.
So how does a wife cope with a husband traveling for work? Throw in a couple kids, a dog, and a side hustle, and it’s enough stress for any marriage. That’s why I’m sharing my best secrets for keeping romance alive and not completely losing your mind during this season of marriage.
Husband traveling for work; 7 ways to keep romance alive
1.) Hug & kiss upon his return
It’s important to reconnect after hubby’s been gone. Sure, it’s hard with kids clamoring for the “fun guy’s” attention, but he needs to hear it from you too. Look him in the eye, give him a hug and kiss, and whisper a little promise of something later in his ear. He’ll love it!
>>>Also see How to navigate chronic illness and marriage<<<
2.) Talk/text daily
Keep the lines of communication open even if you’re busy. He may have down time in the evenings and not realize all you’ve got going (like bath time, bed time, and the 21 calls for water). Try to be understanding and catch up when you can. If he misses you, that’s a GOOD thing!
3.) Let him know you miss him
It’s easy to live life distractedly while keeping the home fires burning. You have bills to pay, laundry to sort, and gas to pump, for goodness sakes. I get it. So let him know you miss him – and for more than just the obvious duties not getting done because he’s gone. A simple, “Honey, I miss you” text will go a long way.
4.) Make time to catch up
Since we moms go full speed ahead with our multi-tasking, it’s super hard to slow the roll because we know what still needs done. But reconnection is important – and it lets him know you care. You don’t know what women he’s encountered; women are on the prowl now more than ever.
Cook his favorite meal or fix a simple dessert to serve by candlelight after the kids go to bed. Plan to spend some time in bed. Sex is important to a man and nothing makes him feel more wanted than a woman coming onto him. Let that woman be you.
5.) Don’t act the martyr
I’m probably not the best person to teach on this since I was the queen of martyrdom some days. But looking back, I know how selfish I acted and how hard he worked for our family. With a husband traveling for work, we tend to get resentful.
Who set out to be a single parent, anyway? Why do I have to renew the car license, pay the house taxes, and call a washer repairman?
It’s simple, really. We said, “I do”. And that means for better or for worse. We could always have it worse. Let’s not be martyrs.
6.) Don’t form close attachments with other men
When our husbands travel, it’s easy to form attachments with others we regularly see. We can become vulnerable and chatty. If you need to share with someone, choose a trusted, godly girlfriend – not a man. Emotional attachments are formed through sharing soul thoughts.
Think of a DANGER sign when tempted. This kind of action ruins marriages all across the nation on a weekly basis.
7.) Keep him in the loop
When our kids were young, I constantly revamped chores and rules. Some of them happened while hubby was gone. Upon his return, he was unpleasantly surprised to learn things I’d changed from the kids. World War III often broke out when this happened.
If I’d been more communicative and less micro-managing/resentful, a lot of that could have been prevented.
Your marriage is important, and you can show your traveling husband you believe that by hugging and kissing him upon his return, keeping him up to date on family changes, and not acting like a martyr. Make time to catch up via phone calls and texts, and when he’s home, create space for intimacy.
Protect your sacred marriage vows by keeping relationships with other men plantonic and conversations short.
Take time to water your marriage garden! God will bless you for it. Be forgiving, and don’t give up. If you have a husband who is chronically ill, read my guest post over at my pal Mel’s sight called, How to navigate chronic illness and marriage.
How do you deal with life when your hubby travels for work? Write your answers in the comments!
Very, very wise words, Ruthie!
Sure do appreciate you and your ministry!
Thanks so much, my friend. Some things are easier to write than others. This one wasn’t one of those. <3
Love this, Ruthie! My husband just got from a long weekend at the mountains, and I incorporated most of these— many texts to him, telling him I missed him and how much I appreciate him when he is around. And giving him a kiss when he got home and some snuggles.😉 Thanks for sharing this, I love marriage posts that help guide the wife to better their marriage!
That’s awesome!! Yes, it’s super important to keep reminding them that we’re thinking of them, love them, and appreciate them. If not…well, someone else may. And that’s not what we want!! Thanks so much for stopping by! <3
Thanks for the great advice! My husband works away a lot. It’s not unusual for him to be gone for more than a week at a time with 4-5 days home in between. This definitely makes it hard to stay connected sometimes.
I like your advice to hug and kiss upon his return. I’m honestly not the most touchy feely person and when he gets home and I’m in the middle of something it’s easy to just say “hi” and go back to what I was doing. Definitely need to work on that!!
Guess what – I’m not huggy feelie either!!! LOL! It definitely takes a huge effort on my part but is so worth it!!!