[ProuGrammer]

Been working as a developer full time for the past 5 years with some 1 week vacations thrown in here and there (I can count them all on one hand).

I'm on week 4 of a 12 week loa for baby #3. I was totally focused on my career, side project(s), and keeping up w/ latest tech to stay relevant my memory felt foggy if you were to ask me household/family things that my awesome wife just took care of on the daily.

I've noticed a complete change in me remembering what my family has going on. Household stuff, etc. It's been great!

[pavel_lishin]

Isn't this just a case of you paying attention to the things you are focused on most during the day?

[jacobush]

Ok, that was barely cohesive but oddly fitting the situation. :)

[austincheney]

If you want to take that a step further leave your family for a year and come back. It wildly changes how all these things work in the mind.

[kkleindev]

Would you mind describing in more detail?

[austincheney]

People tend to fall into routines when doing the same things day after day. The behaviors are predictable like training pets.

When you leave for a year all that predictability and programmed thinking goes away. It really alters how you perceive many parts of the world around you. I have done this three times when my part time second job magically becomes the full time primary job.