That's a great idea!! She'll be less stressed when her babies are born. If you have a radio, play classical music when you're gone. She'll be fine. The more relaxed she is, the better her chances are.

She'll start to get restless, not eat much, mess her bed up (messing up the covers trying to get comfortable). When it's really close, she'll start panting and pushing. Just let her be. If she's on the bed, move her to a box on the floor. This way none of the babies can fall off the bed and get hurt. Talk softly to her and praise her on what a good girl she is. It lets her know that you're there for her. She'll clean each kitten up as they're born. It's normal for her to eat the umbilical chord and placenta of each kitten (sorry, I know it's gross). They should start nursing. It'll take up to 10 hours from start to finish.

Good luck kiddo. It's been a harsh reality. I do hope your Dad wises up. There's alot of good advice here that he should definitely listen to!!