Mum shares the controversial way dad 'escapes' their kids in their home

While neighbours have scoffed at the unconventional set-up, Chloe claims it's "saved the relationship."

Chloe Hamilton, a 33-year-old mother-of-two, was naturally concerned when her 38-year-old husband, Stuart, began living in a tent in their backyard.

But the move, despite unconventional, proved to be the thing that made their relationship stronger.

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Image: John McLellan / The Sun

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Kids "required a lot of attention"

"I feared he was leaving me by stealth," Chloe told The Sun.

It was either that, or he was having some sort of mid-life crisis, the mum joked.

"We’d had a second child, Inigo, less than two months earlier and were juggling a hectic life with our toddler Fabian, two, and the newborn," she explained. 

"Stuart works long hours as a secondary school teacher and Fabian, lovely though he is, requires a lot of attention."

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That, on top of sleepless nights, meant the couple was running themselves into the ground and felt there was no respite between juggling parenting duties.

"Was this his way out?" she thought.

Chloe says that after two nights in the garden, he ventured to the park opposite their house, and set up his tent to camp there while Chloe stayed home to do night feeds and nappies.

It turned out that adventurer Alastair Humphreys's book Micro-adventures had inspired his idea of sleeping outside.

The author, a father of two himself, found himself yearning for adventure as the monotony of everyday parenting took its toll.

So, he came up with the concept of micro-adventures — small, adventurous activities that can be easily incorporated into the little pockets of free time in our lives.

These pockets or brief moments of availability could be anything from a lunch break, a commute, or, in Stuart’s case, at bedtime when everyone else is asleep.

Humphreys argues that engaging in these micro-adventures can enhance mental and physical well-being, foster resilience, and promote a more balanced lifestyle.

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"Right decision for us both"

While the pair's family and friends have questioned the unconventional setup, Chloe says she is "fully supportive" of his nightly escapades.

"Some have accused Stuart of relinquishing his responsibilities, or me of kicking an already tired man out into the cold, I’ve never felt more sure that this is the right decision for us both," she claims.

She says that as she is breastfeeding, there really isn't much he can do at night anyway, so she's glad he can take that time for himself to recharge.

The effects of his decision were palpable, and the first morning after his mini camping trip he "was beaming from ear to ear" as he'd had a full night's sleep and was even up to watch the sunrise with a tea.

"He was refreshed and revitalised in a way he hadn't been for months," she says.

She also said it's made a noticeable difference to their relationship, as he's more patient and better at communicating.

Originally published as Mum shares the controversial way dad 'escapes' their kids in their home