The Atlantic

Dear Therapist: My Husband’s About to Take an Eight-Month Work Trip

Will my toddler be okay? I’m worried about parenting solo.
Source: The Atlantic

Editor’s Note: Every Monday, Lori Gottlieb answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. Have a question? Email her at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com.

Dear Therapist,

In a couple of weeks, my husband will be going away to work on a cruise ship for eight months. We have a son who just turned two. We adopted him through foster care, so we have received a fair amount of training on trauma-informed care, attachment styles, etc. However, rather than making me feel more prepared for this separation, this background has only made my fears more acute.

Our experience as foster and adoptive parents has been exceptionally smooth so far. We picked our son up as a newborn from the hospital and adopted him nine months later without any hiccups. He has known us as his dads his whole life and has attached deeply

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