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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

Long distance relationships are not only limited to the romantic or friendly kind. Long distance parenting is another reality of our modern world, especially for those parents who only want the best for their children. Kids growing up without really knowing one or both parents is becoming common due to the fact that work is hard to come by and when it does, it often takes that parent to farflung places. Still, sacrifice they must, in order to paint a brighter future for their young ones.

It is always a heartbreaking scenario when a parent comes home after years of being unable to, only to find that his or her child views him or her as a stranger. In the olden days, it was probably much harder, with the only medium of communication through snail mail and long distance calls. Fortunately, technology has paved the way for us to bridge the gap and allow parents and their children to still get to know each other despite the vast distance.

Write as Often as You Can
In the old days, letter writing was one of the basic modes of communication all over the world. The more concise way of sending a message then is through telegram. Handwritten letters have taken a backseat now that technology has paved the way for electronic mail. Letters can now be sent and received through real time as long as you have internet connection. Although emails are great, I still think that once in a while, a handwritten letter or a card that was personally chosen trumps all the hundreds of emails you can send. This is because it feels more personal and the way you write often shows how you feel at that moment. When your child sees the effort you put into writing that letter, he or she will feel closer to you. Write as often as you can even if you are not the most prolific writer. What matters is that you are able to communicate your feelings to your children and how much you miss them. Won’t it be wonderful too when your children start writing back to you? Your letters are proof of your love for each other.

Do Video Calls
Technology has done a great deal in improving the way we communicate with each other. It doesn’t matter what part of the world you are in. Through video call applications like skype, you can regularly communicate with your kids and actually see what they look. The same goes for your children. They will know how their parents look like even if they have to grow up without them always by their side. It’s a painful thing for parents to be separated from their offspring at a young age, but video conference systems like Polycom eases some of that pain when they are able to communicate with their kids in a setting that makes them feel that they are talking to eahc other in the same room. Constant communication is a must in long distance parenting so that families will get to know each other and children will get an appreciation of their parent’s hard work.

Aside from emails, letters and video calls, use telephone calls as an alternative when the internet connection where you are staying at is spotty. This way, your children will know just how much they are in their parents’ thoughts and do their best to make their parents proud.

About the Author

Based in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of writing experience. She also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat87.

Earnest Parenting: help for long-distance parents.