Not every set of co-parents will stay together after the divorce gets finalized. In fact, many life circumstances will draw one co-parent far away from the other, and from their child.
But in these situations, it is not impossible to continue co-parenting. In fact, there are ways to maximize the quality of time you spend with your child no matter how far away you are physically speaking.
Showing interest in your child’s life
Onward discusses the ways of making co-parenting work no matter how far away you are. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you want to maximize the quality of the time you spend with your kids, rather than focusing on the quantity of time you spend together. Depending on your circumstances, you might not have many chances to contact your child, but you should make every instance count.
You can start by showing a genuine interest in your child’s life. Remember what they are up to, the names of their friends, important things going on in their life, and details about them as individuals. Make an effort to communicate on a deeper level of understanding, rather than simply asking them questions and not absorbing any of the information.
Minding their comfort levels
Keep their comfort in mind, too. Many children will have different preferences for how they want to be contacted. Some may like a lot of contact and will gladly welcome surprise calls. Others prefer structure, a reliable calling schedule and less frequent calls or they begin to feel overwhelmed.
The method of contact can help, too. Even if you cannot see them in person, you can engage in video chats and other digital face-to-face methods of communicating that can help you all feel more connected.
