I did not take my partner anywhere near an aircraft when I was training, or hour building. It was partly due to the fact that I didn't feel completely safe, and besides, she would have found it boring - particularly the hour building which I did abroad.
Pilots pay is piss poor. I still get some nut-jock asking how many days I stay in Spain before flying home - when I tell them it is about 30 mins, they are shocked. It is just like a bus driver, except the view is better, there are more buttons to press, it requires more skill, and it is a damn sight more dangerous.
I find it incredibly difficult to survive with a decent standard of living, as a result I have a separate income now, based on my previous career. In real terms, pilot salaries are falling each year. The average jet f/o salary is about what it was 10 years ago - so in real terms it is much lower. The average Capt salary is also about the same as 10 years ago, except now the extra benefits are minimal, and in my airline there is no increment. Pilots are their own worst enemy, they look after themselves at the expense of their colleagues. It'll be no different when the current crop of 1-4 year f/o want their command, as they accept lower pay and conditions to get that coveted position.
Read the Aer lingus thread in airports & airlines to see how the management of airlines think.