OFW tips for long-distance bonding with your kids!

Here are some long-distance bonding tips for OFW's and their kids that will help them forget the distance that separates them.

OFW tips for long-distance bonding with your kids!

Parenting is no easy task, with all that's going on with your child, it's quite the feat to make sure that you constantly keep tabs on them, are there when they need you, provide guidance when necessary (which is pretty much all the time) and are there to provide for their needs. Given how difficult it may be to parent while living under the same roof, can you imagine the level of difficulty when trying to parent a child who may be thousands of miles away?
Such is the reality of a large percentage of Filipino parents who work abroad. Here are some tips that can hopefully help parent and child keep a strong tie with each other and that will help them forget the distance that separates them.

Be your child's alarm clock

Call your child and gently wake them, give them an inspiring message: tell them to do well in school, to listen to their teachers, and most importantly, remind them of how much you love them! This is bound to put a smile on your child's face!

Learn a new recipe!

For OFW parents, learn a traditional recipe from the country you're currently living in, and ask your child to do the same back home. That way when you two meet up, you can bond in the kitchen, share a little about the other country's culture and enjoy good food. Learning a new recipe for each other allows a child to practice their skills in the kitchen (with adult supervision) and gives them something to look forward to doing with you!

Bond over a favorite song, movie or tv show!

Pick out a song with your child, whenever you hear the song playing, take time to dance a little while thinking of each other! It may look and feel ridiculous at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will just smile and laugh it off! But in situations that you ought to be prim and proper, remembering each other will do. On the other hand, you can agree to follow a certain tv series and talk about it while catching up! Talk about your favorite scenes, characters and what you two would do if you were in the show.

Send snail mail

There's nothing more classic then sending postcards or hand-written letters to each other, and if the child is too young to write, a drawing will do. To make it more personalized, encourage your child to draw an outline of their hand on each message that they send. That way you can keep track of how fast your child is growing, even if you are away!

LISTEN to your child

As a parent, it is important that you remain one of the "go-to" individuals in your child's life. Encourage them to open up to you and be prudent with your words. When your children want to talk about something that got them into trouble or about something that they did wrong, do not scold them! Instead, let them finish speaking, and immediately thank them for opening up to you. Then you can proceed to prudently pointing out their mistakes and encourage them to make amends.

There is nothing more important than being able to maintain an open and honest line of communication between parent and child, even more so if the parent lives abroad. Afraid of the conversation getting cut? Make use of applications such as Google Hangout, Skype, Viber, and Line to enjoy uninterrupted messaging and calls (assuming you have a stable internet connection).

Create a surprise care package!

Send your child a care package, but not just any care package, THE ultimate care package!
1. Stuff it with the usual things that your child wants, but don't make it easy for them to get! One thing you can do to get the laughter rolling is to wrap a gift in several layers of gift wrapping.
2. Frame a photo of you and your child hilariously photoshopped together in front of a historical landmark of the country you are currently in. You can also upload several of your photos onto a digital picture frame for your child to look through when he misses you.
3. Personalize the box! Decorate the inside of the box with your child's favorite cartoon character, pictures of you, messages of love and more! Get creative!
4. For parents who are about to go home, place a calendar that counts down to the day you get home! Fill each date with little messages.

Make a weekly vlog

As happy as your child may be when you get to call them every once in a while, they'd be happier if they get to see or hear you "on demand". Make a video blog of you saying good night, reading a bed time story, preparing breakfast or whatever other activity that they might enjoy seeing you do. Send it to your child, tell them to download it and click "play". Your kids will get a kick out of seeing and hearing you whenever they start to miss you. The children may do the same thing as well.

Send your child a personalized book

Let your child be the star in his very own story book! Look, it's about me! is a company that makes personalized books that makes your child the star of one of the many plots that they've typed out. You have stories about underwater adventures, going to space and more! You can give it a personal by touch by including a handwritten message at the end of the book or by recording yourself reading the book for your child to watch.
On the other hand, you can leave behind a personalized book about the two of you on an epic adventure! You can ask the child's guardian or remaining parent to read it to them whenever necessary.

Click for more information:

Be in the loop with your child's academics

Ask for weekly or monthly updates from both your child and his teachers. Ask to be informed if your child is struggling in a certain subject or if he's encountered any bullies. This way, you can gauge if your child needs an extra boost via tutorials or it just gives you something more to talk about when you call: you can talk about how difficult the math quiz must have been, the upcoming project that he has or you can give him a "pat on the back" for a job well done during finals week. Your child will appreciate your effort in keeping up with him.

"I love you!"

Never let a day go by without you telling your child that you love them, thanks to technology this may be done via a call or a quick message over the internet. You can try calling right before they're going to bed, not just to catch up on their day but to, of course, tell them you love them and to say a quick prayer!
You may also take turns saying a prayer for each other, you can pray for your child and family back home and they can pray for you. Like the saying goes, "The family that prays together, stays together".

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Written by

Raisa Tan

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