Not every divorced couple has the ability to continue living in the same area. Many parents will move on to find better work, and their new jobs could bring them to a different city or even a different state. Others remain in the military and must continue to follow deployment and relocation orders.
In these situations, is it possible to make long-distance parenting work? The good news: yes, it absolutely is.
UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY
Parents Magazine examines other families in which parents have to make long distance co-parenting work. Technology plays a huge role in making this possible. Many parents who cannot see their children face-to-face will instead set up regular calls or video chats with their kids. This keeps them on a schedule and also ensures that their parent will have the chance to see them at least once a week, if not more frequently.
MEETING CHILDREN HALFWAY
It also opens up the opportunity for a parent to meet children somewhere in their own comfort zone. Many kids have great familiarity and comfort with technology. They prefer texting to phone calls in many cases, and have high levels of comfort with video chat, even more so than in-person discussions at times. When a parent shows they have the ability to meet their children in a place they themselves may not have the highest comfort with, it creates a sense of trust.
Of course, technology is not a stand-in for face-to-face contact in the long run. But for parents who simply have no choice, it provides a great way to keep in touch in between holidays and other important meetings.
