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I'm leaving behind an 11 year old when I start on May 1, so it's a bit different for me. I intend to do as Tincatinker suggests: Trust my wife and enjoy the trip as my time.
When I traveled before, I tried to FaceTime once a week if possible. That might be tough to schedule for this trip given the 6 hour time difference (8 hours for you I would imagine). Sometimes, I would make short videos and send it to them and ask for the same; that's likely what we'll do this time. I would also hide notes throughout the house just to let them know I'm thinking of them. This time, I'm going to leave a set of notes, one for each day away.
You're going to have an amazing adventure. Your family will be waiting for your return with open arms. Those are the best hugs in the world. Buen Camino. I hope we get to meet up along the Way.
Having been the traveler and the stay-behind, may I suggest that you prepare ypur children to be excited for this time with just your husband. When it is about what they gain (direct time with your husband) and not what is missing, it can be a wonderul experience for all four of you.
Just remember to buy them great junk in the tourist shops in Santiago. They will forget you left them fast, as they play with their new booty.
NOTE: This only works with very young children...
I cannot deny that this thought has crossed my mind a time or 2
Oh my.... I read this all wrong. I thought this was a thread about leaving your children on the side of the road when they become too much of a nuisance. The stuff that fairytales are made of. My bad. So sorry.
Spain has rules.... but you don't need them.
I love what KJFSophie did with her students. Similarly, I have involved my son in some of my planning. We've helped each other with our Spanish lessons (Duolingo app and his homework), and we looked into places to stay along the Way. I've used the website www.santiago.forwalk.org to explore a rough itinerary. It includes a great map, summaries of each town, and lots of pictures of the towns and places to stay. You can customize it to your plan if you so choose. Along the Way, I'll provide Facebook updates on where I am and where I'm staying so they can keep track through the site. That way, they can kinda walk with me.
I am so doing thisI taught in a small Catholic Elementary School before leaving for my first Camino and the entire student body knew I was going and became part of my 'training'...we learned Spanish and converting metrics together, along with history. I sent emails to the principal who posted them in the hallway. They had created a huge map of the Camino where they would move a little cardboard picture of me along each day with my progress. I had told them that each time I saw cherubs/angels I was thinking of them and praying for them....and would send pictures of cherubs from churches, etc... When I had returned, the Principal had created a binder with all of the emails and photos I had sent.
Your 5 year old would be a great age to move you along on a map and to collect emails with pictures that he/she might be interested in ( angels, animals, shells, other children, food ). It serves as reassurance that you're making progress and will return, and that you are thinking of them. Be careful to let him/her know that just maybe an email might be 'stuck in a small village unable to travel' once in awhile.
You will all survive the separation and all remember that journey together. Buen Camino !
Not fairytales - the stuff of family legend.
Oh my.... I read this all wrong. I thought this was a thread about leaving your children on the side of the road when they become too much of a nuisance. The stuff that fairytales are made of. My bad. So sorry.
Spain has rules.... but you don't need them.
What a great idea! What a wonderfully enriching experience for the entire student body (and I believe some of them will become future pilgrims!)I taught in a small Catholic Elementary School before leaving for my first Camino and the entire student body knew I was going and became part of my 'training'...we learned Spanish and converting metrics together, along with history. I sent emails to the principal who posted them in the hallway. They had created a huge map of the Camino where they would move a little cardboard picture of me along each day with my progress. I had told them that each time I saw cherubs/angels I was thinking of them and praying for them....and would send pictures of cherubs from churches, etc... When I had returned, the Principal had created a binder with all of the emails and photos I had sent.
Your 5 year old would be a great age to move you along on a map and to collect emails with pictures that he/she might be interested in ( angels, animals, shells, other children, food ). It serves as reassurance that you're making progress and will return, and that you are thinking of them. Be careful to let him/her know that just maybe an email might be 'stuck in a small village unable to travel' once in awhile.
You will all survive the separation and all remember that journey together. Buen Camino !
A few years ago I walked the Camino with my 15 or 16 year old son (age depending on which part of the Camino), leaving my wife behind with our 13 year old daughter. She also printed out a map of the Camino. She drew a little picture of our two faces and put a loop of masking tape on the back so she could move it along the Camino map tracking our progress. After the Camino, I got a big poster made of the route, showing all the spots where we stopped for the night, which I hung up in my cubicle at work. I've appropriated the little marker she made and every summer I move it along the map to commemorate our progress X years ago.I taught in a small Catholic Elementary School before leaving for my first Camino and the entire student body knew I was going and became part of my 'training'...we learned Spanish and converting metrics together, along with history. I sent emails to the principal who posted them in the hallway. They had created a huge map of the Camino where they would move a little cardboard picture of me along each day with my progress. I had told them that each time I saw cherubs/angels I was thinking of them and praying for them....and would send pictures of cherubs from churches, etc... When I had returned, the Principal had created a binder with all of the emails and photos I had sent.
Your 5 year old would be a great age to move you along on a map and to collect emails with pictures that he/she might be interested in ( angels, animals, shells, other children, food ). It serves as reassurance that you're making progress and will return, and that you are thinking of them. Be careful to let him/her know that just maybe an email might be 'stuck in a small village unable to travel' once in awhile.
You will all survive the separation and all remember that journey together. Buen Camino !
in 2012 i left six children behind...Hey all, I am preparing for my first Camino in late April of this year. I have a 5 and 2 year old at home (and an awesome husband who will be caring for them while I’m on my journey.). My question is for any parents who have left their small kids behind, how did you deal with the anxiety of leaving them for such a long period of time, also do you have any advice on how often to FaceTime them? Any advice would be so appreciated!
Whatever works... There are lots of appropriate gifts in the shops.
Remember to upside t-shirts, as Spanish sizing runs very small. I personally recommend at least two sized larger, unless the item is made of preshrunk cotton. In that case, you can go with accurate sizing.
As an example, in the US I wear an XL t-shirt. My voluntario t-shirts are XXXL.
Just sayin...
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2016 Walked with my 34 yo daughter from Leon. She had to leave beloved 4 year old behind with supportive husband. She did lots of explaining beforehand, set up nearly daily gifts in a shoe holder, Facetime (8hrs time difference) every few days, and got comfortable with crying at times. Daughter and granddaughter both loved the Camino.
I’m typing quickly but I left six kids at home in 2012, my hubby had them make a video the night before with each recording the video. They are so sweet!Hey all, I am preparing for my first Camino in late April of this year. I have a 5 and 2 year old at home (and an awesome husband who will be caring for them while I’m on my journey.). My question is for any parents who have left their small kids behind, how did you deal with the anxiety of leaving them for such a long period of time, also do you have any advice on how often to FaceTime them? Any advice would be so appreciated!
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