Top Ten ‘Sending Ideas’ to Stay Connected When Apart.

Perhaps not as obvious as calling, but the option of staying connected with the children you love by sending sweet somethings is a great way to mix things up, and yet another fun way to keep your connection going – and to help it rise to new heights.  Try these ideas and, remember, have fun with the children you love when you’re apart.

1. Send text messages and/or pictures to the children you love, via the home ‘hotline’ (see last week’s post), the caregiver/s’ phone, tablet or computer, or to them directly, if they have their own phone, tablet or computer.
2. Send the children you love letters, postcards or cards. Make your postcards an educational experience, with interesting facts about where you are. Visit Amazon to purchase some blank postcards, which you can design and complete; or visit Amazon to purchase some ‘Where in the World is Waldo’ postcards, perfect for the world (or frequent) traveller.
3. Take one of their favourite toys with you and take pictures of it in different places on your travels or in your day-to-day life. Send the pictures electronically or in hard-copy format (add them to the blank postcards noted above).
4. Every now and then, send the children you love a care package. An old-fashioned ‘care package’ goes a long way, including a few small trinkets, photos, some cookies and a hand written letter. Alternatively, you could simply send a small gift through Amazon.com. Try to include gifts that are educational in nature, for example age appropriate books about the kind of work you do, the place you are  visiting/working/living (including current or historic facts), on the difficulties of being apart, about feelings and/or related to something they are learning at school. Check out the following titles on Amazon about the difficulties of being apart,: Don’t Want To Be Apart; and The Invisible String; and See You Later, Alligator
5. Take the number for the children you love’s favourite delivery service and, every now and then, in coordination with the caregiver/s left behind, send the children you love a surprise meal. If you can, call them to share in the taste-bud extravaganza! (virtually of course :-))
6. Send video messages to the children you love, via the home ‘hotline’, the caregiver/s’ phone, tablet or computer, or directly, if they have their own phone, tablet or computer. This is a particularly useful strategy if, for whatever reason, you can’t call on a particular day, or at a particular time. Just prerecord a message and send it in advance.
7. Keep a shared online photo folder (for example those offered in iPhotos on an apple device), a website, a group page on Facebook, etc, or make and send a hard copy photo album. Ask the children you love, or their caregiver/s, to do the same, and to keep the shared online album updated. Ideally, link the online album to the hotline, established in commitment two. Try Snapfish for physical albums.
8. Try sending a sweet ‘wake-up’ message once in a while, so the children you love can start the day with a warm welcome from you. You can also ask them to send something to you, so that you can start your day on an equally inspiring foot.
9. Encourage the children you love to send you an ‘away package’, full of things that they are proud of: a piece of work from school; a drawing; a short story; a photo; one of their favourite sweets; a favourite toy. Promise to reciprocate.
10. Share a hobby. Do you like chess? Play a game long distance – over a week, or even a month. Visit Amazon to purchase this item. Do the children you love like stamps? Perfect! Send them some from wherever you are. Do they like Pokemon, or other trading cards? Send them a few every now and then! Visit Amazon to purchase this item. Find a hobby that you can both enjoy together, and which keeps you in their mind, while also strengthening your loving connection.

Find some more free ideas on this and other topics under ‘Commitment Three‘ at ConnectedApart.

Stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart by bookmarking ConnectedApart.com, by joining the ConnectedApart Community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter (and by sharing your ideas!) and by signing up for ConnectedApart’s free idea-letter, delivered once-monthly, directly to your inbox.