Twenty Long–Distance Activities for Dads at a Distance

Provided by The National Long Distance Relationship Building Institute

Here are some tips to help fathers – who for business or otherwise – have to be away from their children. These suggestions can help dads maintain and strengthen the relationships they have with their children while they are away.

• Go to the mall and have a photo of yourself put on a pillow case and send it to your child. If you have favorite cologne, you may want to put a little bit on the pillowcase to remind your child of you.
• Purchase or make stickers of your child's name and stick them over the names of a character in one of their favorite books. You also can get a picture of your child's face and place it over the character's face.
• Make a video or audiotape of you reading bedtime stories. Send them to your child along with the book.
• Arrange for flowers or pizza to be delivered to your child before or after a special event, like a dance recital or soccer game. Include a note telling them how proud you are of their accomplishment.
• Send a package containing all the things your child will need if he or she gets sick. For example, you could send a can of chicken noodle soup, a special blanket or pillowcase, a video or audiotape wishing them a speedy recovery, crossword puzzles, or a stuffed animal.
• Send home a photo documentary of what you do all day when you are away. Be sure to include things like what you eat and how you travel. Your children will be very interested in seeing things you might think are boring. Have your child do the same.
• Have a star officially named after your child. Try and locate it in the sky when you are together.
• Send a postcard attack. Send a postcard everyday for a week straight; try to send postcards from unique places.
• If both you and your child have access to cell phones, go fishing with them from a distance.
• Include surprises within your letters. Foreign currency, coasters, artwork, flower petals, Sunday comics, sand, fortunes from cookies, newspaper clippings, and stamps all add interest to the envelope.
• If both you and your child have access to the Internet, go on a virtual field trip together. Be sure to use a chat program so you can communicate with each other while looking at the Web sites. A couple of places to start would be NASA's Web site at http://www.nasa.gov or the PBS Web site at http://www.pbs.org.
• Find unique things to write your letters on. For example, paper in your child's favorite color, stickers, coasters, napkins, and restaurant placemats, paper cut into special shapes – like shamrocks or hearts. You could also create a puzzle by cutting your finished letter into pieces and sending one piece at a time.
• Send home some money for an ice cream cone. Be sure to send a special letter along that can only be read at the ice cream parlor. If you both have access to cell phones, then you can "share" the ice cream parlor together.
• Write a newsletter. Create your own family newsletter with columns about each child, family events, and exciting news.
• If your child doesn't have access to a speakerphone, buy one. Have them set the phone in the middle of the room, and you will be able to have dinner with them, be there as they brush their teeth, and tuck them into bed.
• Begin a letter and add to it throughout the day. Add a sentence every now and then and be sure to include where you are when you write the different sentences (i.e., an elevator, taxi, or café ).
• Play Internet games together like Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. Other games that can be found on the Internet include golf, card games, chess, checkers, and strategy games.
• Make a cookie package. Include cookie cutters and non-perishable ingredients of your child's favorite cookie, so you can "help" them bake while you are away.
• Choose a photo from your photo album that you can send to your child and then write a letter explaining the events surrounding it. Also, if both you and your child have access to the Internet, create a family home page.
• Begin a "Life's Lessons" booklet. Each week write down a few of the lessons you have learned in life and how you learned those lessons. When the booklet is full, send it to your child to use as he continues the journey of life.
• Before you leave home, hide "treasure" – notes of appreciation, videos of you reading stories, candy, or toys – around the house. Be sure to draw a treasure map of where you have hidden these things, and then mail it home. Call home and talk to them. Give hints as they hunt for the treasure. If you don't live with your child, you can mail the "treasure" ahead of time to their primary caregiver.