Family Life 1 - Home for weekends
Dean, Karen, Abigail and Dominic Rogers
Dean joined the Navy in 1976 and has spent most of his career in the submarine service. He met Karen in 1986 when she became his next door neighbour. Following their marriage, they had two children - Abigail born in 1990 and Dominic born in 1993.
The family has chosen not to live in service accommodation, preferring to keep their family life as separate as possible from the Navy, whilst still enjoying the benefits of mess life such as summer and Christmas balls. When Dean received a draft to Australia in 1994, the family took the opportunity to accompany him for the duration of his two and half year posting.Â
Listen to the family discuss some of the difficulties when Dean is only home at weekends.
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Extract Text (Duration 1.11)
K Rogers:  When he's been drafted to Scotland or Plymouth that's been quite difficult, and even when he's home at weekends on the Sunday he's home... he's home late Friday night, and then on Sunday all you're doing is preparing for him to go away again, so it's not really like he's home. And you have to cram everything into Saturday. And then he himself is almost a different person on Sunday as well, because he knows he's got to travel back on the Sunday, and I always worry with him doing the driving as well, ‘cause it is a long way to drive every week.
Interviewer:Â So what about for you Abigail, for seeing dad at weekends?
A Rogers:  Oh, we just got used to it really. You know he'll be home at the weekends but you know he'll be going away again. But I always remember family outings on the Saturdays, going for walks and things and... but you just know he'd go again during the week.
Interviwer:Â Â Â Dominic?
D Rogers:Â Â You would enjoy the most of it when he was there and you would just get out of it what you can and then when he's gone just... it's just different, just weird.
Missing children's early years
1.12 mins - mp3 File
Changes on the washing line
0.49 mins - mp3 File
Coping as a single dad during wife's deployment
0.47 mins - mp3 File
Helping parents to cope with the children's naval career
1.04 mins - mp3 File
1.11 mins - mp3 File
Dynamics of relationships
0.59 mins - mp3 File
Meeting at right time
1.31 mins - mp3 File
What is a naval family?
1.22 mins - mp3 File
Did you know what you were taking on?
1.02 mins - mp3 File
Home for weekends
1.11 mins - mp3 File
