I was reading this article in The Wall Street Journal (no it is not my daily read, I just somehow clicked my way through the net and landed here) and have to share it with you.
As businesses become increasingly global, more parents are taking jobs overseas.As it isn’t always desirable for children to move abroad, many find themselves shuttling between school and their parents’ base, often making the journey alone—a potentially nerve-wracking experience for all. Most major airlines run programs for these junior jet-setters, known as “unaccompanied minors,” to ensure they get from A to B with the minimum of worry and potential for mishap.
Reading the article gave me a very strange feeling, so many thoughts came up and a lot of questions.
I am not in the position to tell people how to organise their lifes and I am very aware that it is not always your first choice but the job’s that brings money on the account… however….working and living on a different continent (even country) than your kids. And not talking kids who already study and manage their own lifes.
I just cannot imagine doing this AT ALL!
Can you?
I would be so stressed (and I am usually a very relaxed mum). I could never settle and most of all, half of ME would be missing, I could just not be happy.
A shocking quote:
“I think the…system offered by the airlines works really well,” he says. “Certainly my wife and I would have found it difficult to live in Australia without it. The only other option would have been for my wife to stay in Europe to be close to the children and that would not have been ideal.”
Not ideal his wife being seperated from him, I understand, but it is OK for his kids? Being seperated from their parents? I am shocked.
Flying from Europe to Australia is a at least 24h journey.
For me these airline services were always “holiday hoppers”, a thing I could imagine doing one day (give me a couple of years more) as well. All our grand parents live in a different country and spending some time of the very long summer holidays with granny sounds a good idea… but chances are high I would fly back and forth and back and forth :)
Apart from the point that I would miss my kids to death (just the thought of it makes my heart cringe) how freaky to imagine not to know what is going on their lifes!
I agree on the globalisation point but as a family you should be able to live this kind of life TOGETHER.
My head is spinning.
What do you think? Is there a point I just completely forget in my thinking that would give this idea an OK?
Have you ever been in this situation and what did you decide to do?
