Being a Dad by Phone: The Emotional Cost of FIFO Parenting

Being a FIFO dad f*cks with your head and your heart.

You clock on for 12-hour days in brutal heat or freezing underground, while your kids keep growing up without you there. You try to squeeze a week’s worth of parenting into a 6-minute phone call—if the signal’s even decent that day.

Then you hang up and sit in silence, wondering if you're doing enough… if they even miss you… or if you're just a photo on the fridge.

🎯 The Real Impact You Don’t Talk About

Here’s what FIFO parenting actually does to blokes:

• Guilt: For missing birthdays, milestones, footy games, scraped knees.

• Disconnect: You feel more like a distant uncle than a present dad.

• Pressure: You overcompensate on days off—spending cash, ignoring your own needs, being everything to everyone.

• Mental Load: You're dealing with site stress and home guilt—all in one.

📊 Studies show that FIFO workers are more likely to experience parenting-related anxiety, depression, and emotional burnout.
You’re juggling two lives—and feeling like you’re failing both.

📱 “Phone Call Fatherhood” Doesn’t Cut It—And You Know It

FaceTime isn’t a hug.
A text doesn’t replace bedtime stories.
And hearing “I miss you, Dad” hits harder than any shift ever could.

But here’s the deal—you’re not alone in this. Most of us out here are white-knuckling our way through it, pretending we’ve got it under control.

🛠️ So What Can You Actually Do?

1. Be real about it.
Don’t just say “I’m good, mate.” If it’s eating you alive, say it. Talk to someone who gets it—another dad, a mate, a pro.

2. Make quality time count.
You’re not going to make up for 14 days in 48 hours. But one-on-one time, eye contact, full attention? That sticks with your kids more than a new toy or a trip to the shops.

3. Check in with yourself.
If you’re burnt out and full of guilt, you can’t show up as the dad you want to be. You’ve got to fill your own tank—mentally and emotionally.

4. Use your resources.
There are real tools out there to help you balance FIFO life and fatherhood—start here: 👉 YourPrevious24.com

👊 Final Word?

You’re not a shit dad for working away.
You’re providing.
You’re sacrificing.
But don’t let your silence or shame cost your connection.

Start talking. Start checking in. Start showing up in the ways that count.

Your kids don’t need perfect.
They need present.

Organizations in Australia that focus on men's mental health include: 

• MensLine Australia: an online counselling and forum for men — call 1300 78 99 78
• Dads In Distress: a peer support for separated dads — call 1300 853 437
• SANE Australia: for people living with a mental illness — call 1800 18 7263 or chat online
• Beyond Blue: has health resources specifically designed for men — call 1300 22 4636