Nowadays, it is not uncommon for one or both parents to work full time. Providing for a family is no easy feat, and often work requires parents to travel, sometimes for lengthy periods of time. Those days, weeks, and even months can put a lot of stress on a marriage and make it incredibly hard to stay connected with our children.
Maybe it’s not just work that requires you to be far away from your kids. When one parent relocates with their children, it can often leave the other parent feeling absent from their kids’ lives. Believe it or not, there are plenty of ways to keep that connection with your kids, even when you’re far away.
Everyone knows teenagers are always on their smartphone. You can actually use that to your advantage if you must be away from your kids for long periods of time. There are plenty of interactive games you can play with your children, and many apps that make communication easy, and even attractive, to kids. Some to check out: Trivia Crack, Words with Friends, Quiz Up, Powerboat Racing, or Asphalt 8: Airborne for games and SnapChat, Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Facebook messenger for fun methods of communication.
These games can not only be fun and relaxing, but also educational. What’s better than playing with your kids while they get to learn? If you have an elementary school-aged child, they may not have a cell phone, so you’ll have to get a bit more creative. You can leave them riddles to solve or give them a topic to draw about so they can show you their work when you see them again. Your co-parent may even be willing to help them to e-mail back and forth with you.
If you have young children that aren’t quite ready to play games or draw pictures, you can simply make the best of the time you have with them. When you see them make sure to be loving and attentive. Reading stories together is a great way to bond with youngsters! You can even record your voice reading some of their favorite books, so they can feel like you’re reading to them even when you’re far away.
Remember that no matter how much time you spend with your children, they really just want to know that they are loved. The effort you put forth is always worthwhile, and your kids will thank you later. The quality of the time you spend with them will outweigh the quantity.
