Meanwhile your spirited little boy is no doubt literally buzzing with anticipation of being greeted and swung high into the air by this exciting father figure who magically reappears each evening. Develop a family plan to address needs throughout the evening. But reduce emotional tension by agreeing to make reuniting the goal of the first half hour together. This means hugs and an initial activity between a young child and the parent who has been away all day. Reading a story or playing a short game can suffice.
Dinner is a good time to reconnect with the family.
You can connect as adults after dinner, while children are encouraged to play for 20 minutes independently. Or you may want to wait until after bedtime to share the frustrations and triumphs of your day in greater detail. Your wife will be able to wait for comfort if she can look forward to your empathetic listening at the end of the day. You can also greatly reduce the tension of the first contact at home if you connect earlier by phone. This will help you maintain connection that includes both venting and teamwork.