> Long days at the factory were the norm, not the exception. However, to leave them entirely for months at a time was definitely not normal. I think most men would not want that.
Maybe in urban context, but in the country it was common to:
* go to the summer pastures for several months;
* go for agricultural seasonal work for 1 month, 2 months (nowadays it is about picking fruits and vegetables, it used to be about cutting hay and harvesting corns (scythe works));
* the same for mining work; so basically in agricultural down times at your place, you'd go and work as a hired hand somewhere else; agriculture as mostly a mean of subsistence, not much as a mean of income, income would come from the salaries brought back during those "down" times; it is still like that in less developed countries/areas.
And I am not sure that, in those days, all kids were extremely happy to see the return of the fathers when they returned, for they had heavy hands and sturdy belts :-)
Maybe in urban context, but in the country it was common to:
* go to the summer pastures for several months;
* go for agricultural seasonal work for 1 month, 2 months (nowadays it is about picking fruits and vegetables, it used to be about cutting hay and harvesting corns (scythe works));
* the same for mining work; so basically in agricultural down times at your place, you'd go and work as a hired hand somewhere else; agriculture as mostly a mean of subsistence, not much as a mean of income, income would come from the salaries brought back during those "down" times; it is still like that in less developed countries/areas.
And I am not sure that, in those days, all kids were extremely happy to see the return of the fathers when they returned, for they had heavy hands and sturdy belts :-)