Its hard but the money is good and its always hard when he has to fly back to work. My husband is working overseas currently and we do the whole flying back and forth every few months and when we’re together it might be 1-2 weeks or during school holidays end of the year for 4 weeks. 

Its not easy at all and not everyone is cut out mentally for it which is why it pays good. Some toughen it out for say 2-3 years just to build savings and can be debt free as do not need credit cards. Home, cars and everyday expenses are all paid in cash.

my kids are almost 3 & 4. Also with the coronavirus job opportunities may be limited at times so you need to go for any opportunity you can. You don’t know if end of the year you’ll be redundant or out of a job so don’t live life expecting my job will be safe for end of this year

i will say that because of my situation and the limited time i have with hubby at times, he’s a very senior person in his company reporting to the ceo and often travels (obviously pre-covid19) it makes any time i have with him not to be spent with horrible skids because they have all the time in the world to spend with hubby but choose to make excuses and ignore him. Hubby is their atm and person they ask to pull strings for them and their mums crazy family (which hubby ignores often).

so we do mini getaways often just to bond because if skids come it kills the mood and they make the trip about them and their bio mum and stepdad which isn’t what our trips are about.

is your husband expecting when he flies in that he’ll focus of skids and basically you suck it up with your bios??  For me i have been very clear with hubby, if he wants to leave the house on a weekend from morning till evening, then he is capable of caring for our 2 kids aged almost 3 &4 and actively soend time with them playing, teaching them, toilet training and diaper changes etc and feeding them whilst doing chores.

if he can’t do this then he is being such a hypocritical ass spending a whole day with skids who otherwise ignore him unless he can pamper them for an expensive steak lunch while our kids want to spend time with him.

also i am currently finishing a degree (hopefully by end of next year) so hubby often needs to care for our kids on weekends or public holidays when we are together. He doesn’t get a free pass to go out and chill because i do not get that privilege managing everything on my own those months as basically a single mum. He doesn’t get to palm off our kids to daycare or babysitter to live it up. He can stress it out like me and multitask and have some appreciation how hard it is to manage everything

My advice? don't do it unless there are no other viable options available to him.

My husband has worked in the offshore oil and commercial fishing.  He has worked the 2 week schedule.. and the 4 week schedule (with hold overs at times to longer).. he also worked out of town for months during fishing season.. but had weekends off but it was 1800 miles away.. so not much help.

He has seen way too many relationships fall apart under the strain.  You miss birthdays.. anniversaries.. holiday.  You spend your brief time at home trying to catch up on things.. it is always rushed... 

Most of my DH's work while we have been married was when his girls were pretty grown.. I cannot imagine having to deal with small kids on top of all the responsibilities that the "at home" person is forced to take on.  You will be mowing the grass.. taking out the trash.. making sure the vehicles are maintained.. doing the banking .. arranging for medical appts etc... 

It can be stressfull and exhausting.. then you will be expected to share the meager time between you with his kids too.

Dont' underestimate the stress of him being gone too.. because you will "get used to it".. when he comes home he will be upsetting your life.. you should be happy.. but he will do things that aggravate you.. because you have your life organized a certain way.. and he doesn't know about your system.  Kids are cranky.. either overly hyped when he first comes home.. or sad he is going away.. or misbehaving to test your limits.

I can't say enough that this is not a good way for a young family to live.  If there is any other way to make a living? do it.. even if it means you have to help make up some difference.. having a full time father and husband in your home is worth it.

I would not tolerate this if I were you.  In FIFO work schedule situations, either for me or my spouse, in a regular visitation blended family situation I would allow the Skids to visit only on every other rotation making sure that my marriage and my child had dedicated non Skid time.  If my partner didn't like it, then they would not work a FIFO.

In 2017 I did a 12wks on 2wks off rotation to the Middle East.  Not my favorite schedule let me tell ya.  Not a lot of drama as SS was long launched at that time.  We never had to deal with a regular periodic visitaiton schedule during our years under a Custody/Visitation/Support CO.  We had SS full time except for 7wks of annual SpermLand visitation.  5wks summer, 1wk winter, 1wk spring. 

Do what is best for your family.  I would inform DH that the Skids would only visit every other rotation and that you and your baby get him to yourselves on alternating non Skid rotations.

Just my thoughts of course.