Travel Anxiety After Having A Baby

Not anxiety or panic, but when my wife and I go without the kids, I think, “sure would suck if we died on this trip.”

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I have to travel a fair amount for work and it’s never bothered me, but man after having that little girl six months ago

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I buy small greeting cards in whatever town I find myself in, and I write in them until there's no more room.

Usually I start with where I am (Chicago, Dallas, whatever) and tell her about what's going on in her life at that moment. Not usually the big things, since I figure she'll remember those things, but the small pieces that are front and center now yet may be forgotten over the years: the funny thing the puppy did yesterday morning, the silly meme we laughed about recently, etc.

Anyway, when I'm done writing, I seal the envelope and just jot the date on the upper left corner. I can't go back and read them, so I think it helps keep me focused on "the now" and the messaging doesn't get stale. When I get home, I add it to the stack. They're not always from the road, since I always do them for birthdays and Christmases, but a large part of them are. Sometimes I'll include a piece of the hotel stationery or the ticket from a movie we saw together around that time.

She obviously doesn't know I write them, so she doesn't know they exist. I told my wife I have "a few" letters I've written for the kid and where to find them if something should happen to me. I don't think she knows there are about 50 of them.

I'm not sure when I'll give them to her. Maybe when she becomes a wife. Maybe when she becomes a mom. I figure I'll know the time when it gets here.

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sure would suck if we died on this trip

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I feel the same. And I don’t have kids

I know I'll get downvoted, but y'all are really soft. (Not to poster I replied to, but all) I was a mom that had to travel sometimes and I promise they will be fine. Kids are a lot more resilient than you think. Homecoming is fun for them. I always brought some kind of a little gift, even if it was just a little token thing I found at the airport. It's so much easier to stay connected today. We didn't have cell phones, much less facetime. Quite often, by the time I talked with my hubs, the kids were in bed.

They will be fine and so will you. What's more important, is the quality of the time you do spend with them. Make sure you aren't just on your phone or watching TV. Y'all are good parents, but missing your kids when you're away doesn't make you a good parent. Learn to enjoy your time away as well as your time with them.