As many of you know, my dad has been a driver my whole life, and he’s still on the road today. For the last 13 years my mom has been on the road with him, but while we were growing up, my mom often played the role of mom and dad. Trucker’s wives, significant others and support systems often bear the grunt of the home responsibility.
The beauty and brains behind My Crazy Life As A Trucker’s Wife, Melissa Cook, recently wrote her house rules for her children while their father is away.
By Melissa Cook
If you are married to (or live with) an OTR trucker and have children, then you know what it’s like to play good cop/bad cop. Before my husband started driving he was the main disciplinarian. I was, so to speak, the push over. It was always, go to mom to get a “get out of jail free” card. Not anymore.
I can’t use the, “YOU WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME!” line anymore… They KNOW! Evil little children! He isn’t coming home for weeks and they KNOW THIS!
Of course the hard times come with a price. Bikes get put up, tv gets unplugged and toys get taken. That’s part of being a normal kid right? Not MY kids! It’s like they love to challenge me. I quickly remind them of a few simple rules that dad had instilled in their minds before he left…
RULES WHILE DAD IS AWAY!
1.) EVERY TIME YOUR MOTHER CALLS ME DUE TO YOU ACTING UP IS ONE DAY OF YARD WORK
2.) SKIPPING CLASS/SCHOOL WILL RESULT IN 2 DAYS OF YARD WORK
3.) BACK TALKING YOUR MOTHER WILL RESULT IN YOU WRITING “I WILL NOT SASS MOM” 100 TIMES
4.) NOT DOING YOUR ASSIGNED CHORES WILL RESULT IN DOING EVERYONE’S CHORES FOR 3 DAYS
Not bad considering my rules and consequences usually ended with a belt whooping… You figure they would get it by now.
They actually have a game. I do believe it’s called “let’s see who can push mom to the furthest before she calls dad.” They know they are in trouble when I have them sit at the table and they see dad on Skype. Ooooohhhhh boy!
I will end by saying this: Children are little people who have feelings just like adults. They miss the ones they love if they are away for any period of time. I have learned with my children that they may not be acting up for my attention but for their fathers attention. So, with that being said, sit down with your child. Maybe they just need to talk. Don’t be afraid to ask them. They need to vent too and sometimes it’s directed at the wrong people.