DEAR ANNIE: My husband, “John,” and I have been married for eight years, and we have two young children. Recently, he’s been working late almost every night and spending weekends at the office. When I ask him about it, he says he’s trying to secure a promotion that will benefit our family in the long run.
I’ve always admired his work ethic and ambition, but I feel like a single parent. Our kids miss him, and I’m lonely and overwhelmed handling everything on my own. I want to support his career, but I’m worried about the toll it’s taking on our family. I’m not sure how to bring this up without it sounding like I don’t support his goals. -- Basically a Single Parent
DEAR SINGLE PARENT: It sounds like John has the best interests of your family in mind, which means that, ultimately, you should be making this choice together. Start by expressing how much you admire his work ethic, and then move on to how much he is missed at home, both by you and your children.
It might be worth asking how long this period of late nights and working weekends is expected to last. Does he need to power through for one more month, or will this be the “new normal” once his promotion is secured? Once you have a better idea of his timeline, you can work on carving out some designated family time.
Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
