Morgan Gunnarsson:
My plan is to go on retreat in August for a stream entry attempt. My child will be one year and four months then, and I'm afraid that her attachment (in the "attachment theory" sense) to me will be effected negatively. When I was in that age my parents were away from me 11 days and I was told that I didn't recognize my father when they returned. For how long can I be away? Any parent here with experience with this dilemma who can make a reasonable estimate? One week? 10 days? Two weeks?
Are your sure the attachment is not with you.
I'm a father of six and had the oportunity of going on a 2 year research expedition to Antractica when my children were 2mths, 2 yrs, 4yrs, 6yrs, 8yrs, and 10yrs. Luckily I had a tremendous wife that reinforced and kept my memory alive with the children.
The children loved me all the same when I came back and were well balanced in life.
An terrible spin on the story was that my wife was killed in a car accident 6 months after my return and now its me keeping the memory alive with the kids (maybe thats karma).
If you can bare being away from the kids and they are safe, let go of the fear and go for it
cheers
Jeff
added - I have been on many 1 mth retreats throughout my kids life as well as travel with work, they are now 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26, thanks to my parents and a buddhist nun who lived next door and both use to help looking after them while I was away.
Its also possible to do home retreats and balance being both father/mother and work, have a home life and achieve path, its up to you and your intent/drive to get it done. The only obstacle to this is you