FIFO mum Alycia here is her story
Alycia is from Tasmania is mum to a gorgeous 28 month old boy and currently pregnant with her number two and has been a stay at home mum since their son came along.
What’s your work schedule? Do you work outside the home? How do you handle childcare? If you need it. Do you use childcare or family? Do you have any support?
Our son isn’t in child care, but we are very lucky to have my parents, who are a fantastic help, 10 minutes away from us. My mum babysits for an hour every week so I can do the groceries in peace. She also helps out if I have any appointments that I need to go to alone.
Was there a reason you started FIFO? i.e. deposit for a house, lifestyle. Did you talk about it before starting? Was there a time limit? Has that happened?
We never really discussed the FIFO lifestyle. My husband decided to go back to college and study for a certificate in Marine Engineering which led to his current position (12 weeks on, 12 weeks off). It’s never been about the money, more about him having a career that he enjoys. We haven’t set a time limit on how long we will live this lifestyle. We both have agreed that when either of us (or our children) has had enough, we will re-evaluate.
What do you like best about FIFO?
The best thing about the FIFO lifestyle for us would have to be having six months of the year together. We are lucky that we have the option for doing whatever we want to do when hubby is home because he gets such a huge lump of time at home. I also appreciate the lifestyle because it means I can be a stay at home mums without the financial stress a lot of our friends have.
What do you find so-so/tricky/hilariously bad about FIFO? What would change if you had a magic wand?
The hilariously bad part of the lifestyle…trying to conceive a baby!! Months would pass by with nothing happening as hubby was away. And then to make things worse, he’d usually get home the day or two after I ovulated. So another cycle missed! Drove me batty!
I also find family/special events frustrating at times as I often feel like a single mum with an invisible husband as he always seems to miss the important events. Or the sympathy from people when I explain to them what my husband does for a living. If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me “I don’t know how you do it”, let’s just say, hubby wouldn’t need to work anymore!!
How do you and your husband fit marriage into the balance? Do you have any time for yourself?
Our marriage seems to work better with a FIFO lifestyle. We are both strong, independent people. So time away from each other gives us time to regroup and appreciate each other when we are together. Because hubby gets three months off at a time, we make sure we share out “me time” between each other and taking care of our son.
Do you get lonely? How do you handle it?
Loneliness creeps in occasionally; I chuck a huge tantrum at hubby, have a big cry or run home to my mother’s for some sympathy. It doesn’t usually last long as I don’t like to let it overwhelm me.
Do the kid’s miss dad? How do you handle it?
This is the first time that our son hasn’t forgotten about his daddy. Usually he misses him for the first few days, but would then stop talking about him. This time, we are seven weeks in to our swing and he still constantly talks about his daddy. How do I handle it? I don’t. I smile and talk to our son about his daddy, but my heart breaks inside every time he asks for him. This was always going to be the most challenging part of the lifestyle.
Do you ever wonder how other women manage the juggle? Have you talked to other women about it?
I would love to talk to other women in the same situation to discuss the nitty gritty parts of the lifestyle. But unfortunately I don’t know any other women in the same position.
What advice would you give to other mums about how to balance FIFO life?
Advice for other mums? Only do it if you are 110% sure you can live the lifestyle. The money is fantastic and very enticing, but the reality of the day to day FIFO life is far from glamorous. Imagine playing the role of mum and dad 24/7 for weeks maybe months on end. Not to mention making sure the bills get paid, the kids get fed and washed, the house doesn’t fall apart, chief bug catcher, car owner, operator and servicer and so on and so forth. Very big shoes to fill.
As written and told by Miss A. Thank you,
xx Deb
