Far away, still close.

1. Consistency beats length. A 10-minute call at the same time every week beats a long call whenever.
2. Keep every promise you make, and make fewer, smaller ones you know you can keep.
3. Share things, not just updates. Doing something together, even apart, builds more connection than “How was school?”
4. Let your kid lead some of the time: what they want to show you, play or talk about.
5. Never use your time together to vent about the other parent or the situation.

Dad tip: Kids remember the rhythm, not the reason. A dependable ritual says “I’m here” better than anything.

1. Pick a fixed time each week for a call or video chat, and put it on both calendars.
2. Add one small in-between touch: a voice memo, a photo, a quick text.
3. Agree what happens when you can’t make it: a text ahead of time and a make-up time.
4. Keep a shared countdown to your next visit.

Dad tip: A paper chain with one link for each day until you’re together turns waiting into a game.

1. Keep calls short for little kids: 5 to 15 minutes is plenty.
2. Have an activity ready instead of just talking: a book, a game, a show-and-tell.
3. Let them move around and show you things. Follow them on the tour.
4. End on a ritual: the same goodbye phrase, a silly handshake, or “Look at the moon tonight, I will too.”

Dad tip: Little kids often wander off mid-call. That’s normal, not rejection.