Galee wrote:If you've got kids, then no, you shouldn't want to spend time alone. Raising kids is a joint excersise and you should be there for the family.
If the kids have flown the nest, then OK, the odd short break apart should not be a problem.

Agree with you 100% Galee, if the're your own kids being raised by a young couple. You must remember though these kids , are, in the main the produce of a father who has long gone permanently, not just for a short break but never to be seen again, in many instances has even drunk himself to death, with the help of a motorbike. Their formative years they were raised by this same father, who not only didn't worry about their welfare but mostly didn't care that they had no sense of right or wrong instilled in them.Then when the die has been cast along comes Mr Farang who tries to make normal citizens of them. He in turn faces a barrage of opposition from his wife amidst oft repeated comments about not loving them, being too strict, this is Thailand we don't do like that here. My personal battle was to stop my 12 year old daughter going to school on a motorbike, all the kids do it. Faced with this scenario do you wonder why we occassionally need a short break.

I don't envy anyone having to step in as a Step Father, but throw in, in a completly different culture. Now that would be far beyond my limits.

But what happened to the Thia family unit wasn't the theory that each generation took it's turn at being the money winners and then raising the children of the family when thier children became the bread winners.

Just about every traditional family I have seen seemed to do it this way. All those girls working the bars around the country soemone is taking care of thier childen.

I know it's no our way but it does seem to happen here. Descipline here is almost impossible. I don't mean this in a bad way, I can't even get the wife to train the dog. Hate to see what things would be like with a child

Must admit I had over looked the Step Father scenario. Was thinking more of first marriage and own children.
Can understand if either partner would like a short break, as long as the kids were cared for.