what would you do??

I think this is one that people can advise you about here but the ultimate decision will have you be a shared one with you and your family. Firstly I would ask is this the only opportunity of a job that's likely to come your way? Is it not possible to look for something else nearer to home or is the situation such that this is the only job you've been offered in a long time and you can't afford not to take it? If you up and move your family to a one horse town, seriously how lonely will your wife feel whilst you're out at work all day on such long shifts? If there are hardly any people around and the kids are at school, what will she do with her time? Hopefully she won't end up resenting you for bringing them to such a deserted place! On the other hand if you go away alone, how can you face being apart from them for such long periods of time for 5 years? You'll practically miss your kids growing up, they'll be strangers to you and you to them. Can you live with that? My brother in law has gone to work in Dubai and left his wife and two kids in India. I don't know how they cope but it seems very weird to me. They are very money-minded and to them they only care about the big money he's earning, even though he had a very well paying job in India he went for a job earning double...

I suggest that you balance the advantages as well as the disadvantages of working at a mine for a wage away from home. The sad part - distance. You can easily say and think that you can DO it and be away from your family but the fact is, its never easy either for you or for the people you left behind. Anyway, my life story is somewhat similar to this discussion. I'll just share some important points so that maybe you can compare your situation to what happened to mine. PAST - My dad worked away from home since I was about 2 - We would see each other once every 2 months - It is definitely sad having to see NO dad at home - There's even a time wherein my mom & dad argued about my dad having another affair (don't know if its true) - It's like my father and I have a gap since I'm not that comfortable when he's around because I am used to not having to see him always. * There came a time about 4 years ago when my family decided that we would live together with me dad to the place where he is working. I came from the big city and now I am living in somewhat a remote location. PRESENT - It was definitely hard to adjust since I was already a teen (14) when we moved to a remote location where my dad worked. - I feel like my father is happier that my mom is around to care for him and our home. - My father can save more money because he can already balance his finances having my mother around - Living under a father's guidance is better than having NO dad presence at all. ___ My own opinion about your situation is that your family should be with you even though they have to transfer to a remote location. Since your kids are still young, it is easier to bring them with you at that age because when they grow older and start to think for themselves, there's the tendency that they will protest having to live in a remote location or they won't go and live with you because of the distance. Also, it definitely is better to live together with your wife and kids around. I hope you'll decide on the right thing to do. - best of luck - hope this helps.

take them with you. this way you can get a place out there to live, and you are only paying one set of bills. Small town life is usually good. Look at it as an adventure. Worst case scenario...it is only for five years. If you dont like it, work the five year term and leave

I would move the entire family, 5 years isn't forever and hopefully it will be a interesting experience for everyone. If they stayed put, you would miss so much of your children growing up and that is something you may regret.

What I would do is get a piece of paper and make two columns. one for pro!s and one for cons. If you went would you be paying for two households. Does your wife work? Is there a town nearby that you could look at. lIFE is short. Do you have a job now? Weigh out your columns and that might help you make your decision. If you were in the service you may not have a choice. but you do now. Good Luck.

The prospect of earning more money is always attractive but if it is at the cost of spending time with your family then for me it's not worth it. If it was short term (less than 6 months)then the financial reward would be enough. 5 years is a long time especially for a child while they are growing up and also for a parent watching them grow up. The extra money, no matter how much, can never buy back that time. I think that's the most important thing to consider.