Working Mums with FIFO partners - tell me how you make it work
My partner works for a mining company on project delivery. We’ve been lucky that since our daughter was born he’s had to go to site rarely. This is soon to change, and he has monthly trips for a couple of months and then will be at site 2-3 nights a week later this year. This was what his work was like when we met and until 2024, so we both knew this day would come.
I have a middle management role with a large team of direct and indirect reports which is obviously relatively demanding too.
Partner was away for 3 nights, 4 days this week. It’s been hard but not impossible.
I want to vibe check my expectations with other parents in similar positions. My expectations broadly are that my partner will recognise that the days he is away place an extra toll on me as I’m managing my own work, all daycare drop offs and pick ups, parenting and household duties by myself. As a result I hope he will pick up a bit ‘extra’ one or two days a week to give me a rest (e.g do dinner and bedtime routine solo, an extra load of washing etc).
I’m pre empting a discussion about how tired he is after site visits, and how he also needs a rest. Which I totally understand as working long days in a stressful job is difficult. I don’t want to be unfair as he does work very hard and his work affords us a very privileged life. But I also work long days and on the days he is away for work I don’t get to disconnect from any responsibilities for a moment!
Please be brutally honest, and also share any tips or ideas with me if you are in a similar position. Thank you x