Career Break Advice

Dependents and partners

Most people who take career breaks, sabbaticals or volunteer abroad later in their life have to cope with a huge question – what about their children, dependent adults, or their relationship with their partner or spouse?

This may seem like the biggest stumbling block to get over before getting away, even more difficult to contemplate, for some people, than asking your boss for the time off, so here’s a whole article dedicated to finding you an answer, and keeping your family happy, even if (or maybe because!) you’re 1000 miles apart!

Children

There are many reasons for leaving your children at home while you volunteer overseas – their safety, and not wanting to disrupt school work probably being the biggest two. If you’re travelling alone and the children’s father, your partner, grandparents, extended family or close friends can look after them while you’re away, you’ve got a ready made solution.

Sometimes this isn’t possible, however, so here are a few other options. If your kids are old enough, could they go away to a residential summer camp? You could both have a great, adventurous time at the same time! If your children’s school offers it, could they board for a short time? If so, remember to factor this into your budget.

You might be worried about them while you’re away, but the best thing to do is to keep in touch. Brace your budget for some phone bills, and get your kids mobile phones that work with yours abroad, then they can call you and send you photos whenever they want to. Another idea is to get a digital camera that records video, then make little clips of what you’re doing, and put them on You Tube for your kids to watch (you might need to learn how to do this before you leave, but it’s very simple). Keep in contact with email, too – encourage older kids to email you the homework they’re working on, so you can help them, and set up an instant messenger account, so you can chat. Finally, don’t forget to bring back some good presents! This way, your kids won’t feel left out or forgotten.

If all this doesn’t seem desirable or feasible, however, or you’re just looking for a different solution, why not think about taking your kids with you on your career break? This might sound extreme, but it is definitely possible – often whole families come away and spend some time on a project and some time travelling, and many gap companies can be flexible with accommodation and commitments.

People who volunteer abroad with their kids report an incredible sense of fulfilment from their trip and speak of how rarely parents get a chance to spend a substantial amount of time with their children while they’re still young. Family breaks also seem to help build fantastic lasting relationships. People describe how original fears about their child’s safety dissipate, too, as soon as they settle into their new surroundings and discover resilience in their kids they didn’t know existed! For more information on this, contact the gap company you’re considering, as they’ll undoubtedly have prior experience of situations just like yours and can advise you on how to proceed.

Tip: ask locals where playgrounds are, as these are rarely marked on maps or in guide books!

Relationship with partner or spouse

There are two solutions to this… firstly, take them with you! Sharing your adventure with your partner can bring you closer together, and the added bonus is that if you own your own house you can rent it out while you’re away. Gap companies report that among older travellers, after solo trips, couples are by far the most common group to travel, and a joint trip can cement your relationship in a way years of cohabiting never did!

If your partner can’t come, though, or doesn’t want to, try not to worry – as long as you’ve got the finances covered and you’re in a dedicated relationship any time away will go so fast you’ll hardly notice it. That counts for all relationships, in fact – many people report volunteering abroad is so rewarding the time flies by and soon enough you’ll be back with your loved ones again.

Dependent adults and special needs

This is perhaps the most difficult dilemma. You might be caring for a child or adult with special needs, an elderly parent or a friend. Often these responsibilities, while incredibly fulfilling, are hugely time consuming, difficult and emotionally intensive, and a break to travel might seem like an impossible dream. It’s not – here are some pathways you might look to:

Investigate carer breaks – many charities offer temporary home or holiday placements for infirm elderly people and people with special needs in order to give their carers a well earned break. They could look after your loved one while you travel.

Find out about government or charity help you might be entitled to – such as a home visit several times a week from a carer, or a live-in help. This might enable you to go away for a while secure in the knowledge that your elderly parent or special needs child is being cared for.

Look up your local authority’s website for more information – the social care department of your local council might well have money set aside in its budget to help fund carer breaks for people just like you.

Top tip: speak to charities and keep pressing and pushing for your rightful benefits – factor in extra time than you think you’ll need to get through the system.