When dealing with child custody, a parent who has to deal with long distances may wonder whether or not they will get a fair share of their child’s time.
This valid question plagues everyone from military members to those who must care for sick or elderly relatives. Fortunately, there are ways to make it work.
Lean on technology
Medium discusses ways to make long-distance co-parenting work. First and foremost, take advantage of technology. In the not-so-distant past, long-distance custody did not often work out simply because the only way to keep in touch was via letter or telephone.
These days, parents who do not live near their children have a wealth of technology to lean on. Video chatting is easier than ever and someone can even do it on their phone. Text messages, instant messaging systems and other forms of contact exist, too. It helps to figure out what a child’s preference is because that will give you the maximum amount of contact with them.
Show interest in your child
On top of that, do what you can to show that you have an interest in your child’s life and want to engage with them despite the distance between you. In terms of contact in a long-distance situation, many experts will say that the quality of your interaction matters more than the quantity. Since you cannot see your child whenever you want, you need to maximize the meaningful qualities of each interaction you have.
Keep communication open with your child, too. Find out how they prefer to communicate, how much contact they want to have and whether or not they feel like they are getting enough or too much of it at any given time. Then, respect their wishes as well as you can.