It is never easy for a child to be away from his or her parent, even for a relatively short period of time. Likewise, parents always miss their children when they are apart. When a move due to a job or another reason takes you away from your child on a more permanent basis, it is up to you to maintain close contact with your child in spite of the distance.
The advent of technology in our society gives you more options than ever for remaining in touch with your child. Even a very young child can benefit from Skype and Facetime visits for short periods of time. Taking five minutes out of your day in order to “spend time” with your child is a good way to keep in touch with what’s going on at school, at daycare, and in his or her daily life.
As a child grows older and perhaps graduates to a cell phone, you have even more options for reaching him or her. Email messages are a great way to communicate with your child on a frequent basis. For shorter messages, text messages are ideal, especially for teenagers who are accustomed to continue trading these brief messages back and forth. Of course, there’s always the good old-fashioned telephone call, which is also an easy way to connect with your child.
At times, it may seem that your child is reluctant to maintain a close relationship with you, such as when he doesn’t answer your messages or return your calls. Despite what seems to be a lack of interest in talking to you, you always should maintain the contact, even if you receive no response at first. It may hurt a little bit to feel as if your child isn’t interested in talking to you, but your child’s response – or lack thereof – is potentially attributable to a number of different reasons. Your child may feel that he or she is being disloyal to the other parent by maintaining a close relationship with you, or may be angry with you about the divorce or separation. He or she may be upset that you moved away, even if it was a necessity. Regardless of the reason, you still should continue to reach out to your child as often as possible, if for no other reason than to send the message that you care.
Living apart from your child, no matter what the circumstances may be, is a difficult and heart-wrenching situation. During times like these, it is sometimes hard to know what decision is best for you and your family. Using technology in order to keep in close contact with your child is one way to bridge the gap of a relationship that has deteriorated and broken down. It is in these kinds of cases that a Washington child custody lawyer can be most useful to you and truly make a difference in the outcome of your case. Visit our website and click on the “Contact Us” button and fill out the online form today. If you contact us online, one of our staff members will get back to you right away.
