No parent wants to spend more time away from their child than they absolutely have to. But unfortunately, some co-parents simply do not have the ability to stay close to the custodial parent.
In these situations, it is important to understand what you can do in order to maximize the most of the time you spend with your children. After all, in these cases, it tends to be about quality over quantity.
Sticking to a set schedule
Onward discusses ways parents can co-parent together successfully even from a far distance. First, make sure you give your co-parent some space. Yes, you want to talk to your child and your child likely also wants to talk to you. But your co-parent probably does not want you surprise-calling at all hours of the day and interrupting your child’s daily life just to sneak in an extra conversation.
Instead, create a schedule and stick to it. Not only does this cut down on badly-timed surprise calls, but it also allows you to build that rapport with your child in a way that reinforces your reliability. If they know they can speak to you at a certain time on certain days and you rarely miss a call, they can feel more at ease.
Striking the right balance
At the same time, make sure to give them their space and privacy, especially as they age. It is important to keep in contact, but do not cross the line into seeming pushy or smothering, or it may push your children away instead.
Finally, rely on technology where you can. These days, there are almost endless options for communicating with someone long distance. Take advantage of as many of them as you can.
