My husband works abroad for 2 weeks each month while I watch the kids. The arrangement has strengthened our marriage.

Our daughter, Ria, was born in 2012 — the same year Bobby left the army after 13 years. I launched my own wedding stationery business before having our son, Guraj, three years later in 2015.

Meanwhile, Bobby worked for various airlines. Then, in 2019, he struck out on his own, establishing a company with five employees. Since then, he’s worked for two weeks in Germany before coming home for the rest of the month, and he’s mostly free to do what he wants during that time.

My husband is the provider, and I look after our household and kids

There have been moments when I’ve told him, “Why can’t we just live a normal life?” But what is normal? “Some workers leave very early and work very late and still don’t see their kids,” Bobby said. He wants to be the provider while I focus on the house and the children. We know we’re fortunate to have this option because Bobby earns upward of $250,000 annually.

He runs at 110% when he’s working, and then when he’s home, he’s just so relaxed. We have a full family life, going for bike rides and short vacations. We’ll sometimes accompany him abroad. Last Christmas, we stayed in Bremen for a week.

I get lonely sometimes during the 2 weeks Bobby is away

Still, there are some cons. Bobby often misses the kids’ parents’ evenings and other events, such as school plays — but they are resilient. They know that Dad is working hard so we can maintain our lifestyle.

I sometimes get lonely, especially at night when the children are in bed. But thank God for FaceTime. It’s the best way to keep in touch. We’ll also send each other flirty messages anticipating his return to the UK.

I always get butterflies when I pick Bobby up at the airport. Our marriage is strong, and we’re still very much in love. Others might find our circumstances strange, but it works perfectly for us.

Do you have an interesting story about the practicalities of your relationship to share with Business Insider? Please send details to jridley@businessinsider.com