Seeing the family while making consulting work work
 

What is the longest you have been away from home, wife, kids? Do you have a personal maximum? What creative arrangements have you made to see them when there was only enough time to get home for more than a day, do you fly home for a day?

Would you fly crosscountry Friday night if you have to be back on the job Monday at 9 (if company is paying and you get the miles)?

Hmmm good question.

The best answer is - do consulting when you're single & young, or older and an empty nester.

It's hard to make consulting work when you've got young ones at home to raise, hard on you, the kids, and the spouse.

I worked with consultants who left their country (India) to work here in the US. They left their wives / kids behind for months / years at a time.

I could never understand that because if it was me I wouldn't do it.

Three weeks was the longest time away (and that was out of the country).

But unless there was a special reason to be away over a weekend (go-live, prepping for a major Monday meeting), I'm going home on Thursday (or Friday) and flying back on Monday (or Sunday if a special reason).

I try to see my wife as much as I should, even though we are already 300 miles apart in the United States. I make it a habit to see her at least once per month, for about a week. Normally I can do this since all I need to work is my notebook and an ethernet connection. All I ever do now is answer emails.

I have known of fellow consultants with small children who used a webcam to keep in contact with their families while out of town, so that might be an option for you to consider.
As far as flying cross-country on Friday then back on Monday, I had a West Coast engagement that required 3 legs from the client site to my home city. I came home every other weekend on Thursday and went back on Monday. I would only consider making the trip every week if the flights were direct or only required one connection.
I don't have a spouse or small children at home, so my reasons to come home are not as compelling as yours may be.