Holding The Fort Abroad
If you are a 'holding the fort' parent with a partner often away from home, take this quiz to check your vulnerability level and how to reenforce your defenses so that you can thrive as an individual and a family despite the physical distance.
For Individuals
I work with individuals who struggle with a life where their partner frequently travels or works in another location. They are overwhelmed, stressed, resentful of their partner. They feel like single parents. They want to know how to involve the away parent in family life.
I help them know they are not alone and that this lifestyle has particular challenges. Together, we go through my five pillar framework: personal care and development, how to strengthen the couple relationship, how to parent together, and how to be prepared for emergencies and navigate changes, so that they feel that they can do this lifestyle and that it is manageable. They understand that they have reasons to live it.
For Organisations
I work with organisations who send employees on international assignments for one month or more without their spouses and children.
Living in split locations and being often absent from home brings pressure on employees’ family life, which can lead to burnout, failed assignments, and talent retention challenges.
I help organisations support their employees and their families when living geographically apart. The goal is to ensure that employees feel supported, remain focused on their assignment and stay committed to the organisation, while having peace of mind knowing that their families are taken care of.
Hi, my name is Rhoda.
Since 2019, I’ve been focusing on supporting families where one parent works away from home, either through frequent work travel or because they work in a different country than their partner and child/ren.
When I mention what I do, someone invariably says: “Oh yes, my husband/wife lives in (name a country)” or “my partner is always on a business trip somewhere”.
In addition to experiencing this life myself, I’ve interviewed hundreds of people who live this, I run workshops and write about this life. I am dedicated to researching what works best for families in this way of life. (See my Research page)
I am also convinced that organisations need to support the staff that they send on these trips and unaccompanied assignments. They are asking far more from their staff than a 9-5! It will also be in the company’s benefit if potential candidates know that family is important to their employer. Offering pre-split-assignment preparation, ongoing 1:1 support and resources for these posts will undoubtedly help with recruitement, retention and staff wellbeing. (See Organisations page for more information)
Take a look around the site. You can read more about my story and strategies to make it work in my book ‘Holding the Fort Abroad’. In the podcast, I interview people who live it and various experts to find out their tips on how to make it work.
As a certified coach, I can also support you one-on-one so that you can overcome the challenges this life can bring to enjoy its silver linings. Find out more here.
Holding The Fort Abroad Book
Your partner's job opportunity in another country seemed like an exciting idea, but lengthy work assignments mean you're holding down the family fort - alone.
OR Your partner is working and living in another country, and you feel like you are shouldering all the home responsibilities alone.
You may be wondering:
- How can we be a family when we're miles apart?
- Can I cope, alone, when troubles arise?
I believe there are answers to the above questions, and the answers start with you. In this context, it's more important than ever to invest in yourself, to care for yourself, to set your own goals and to watch yourself grow. Equally important is to nurture your relationship with your partner and learn to parent together.
Holding The Fort Abroad Podcast
Holding the Fort Abroad is about sharing creative ways families have found to maintain relationships when a partner and/or parent works away from home a lot and how the non-travelling partner juggles the roles of home and their own pursuits. I interview expats who have experience, therapists and researchers and share my own tools for this life journey. Even if you and your partner don’t work away from home, you will find gems in this podcast for your life.
“I binge listened after finding your podcast”
“I am going to try the SEEDS idea from episode 44”
“your guests are always interesting and your questions on point”
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Holding The Fort Abroad
If you are a 'holding the fort' parent with a partner often away from home, take this quiz to check your vulnerability level and how to reenforce your defenses so that you can thrive as an individual and a family despite the physical distance.