Connected Apart’s Blog

COVID has us isolated in our homes, but it doesn’t have to keep us apart from the kids we love. We have the technology, from FaceTime to Skype, from Zoom to Google Meet, WhatsApp, you name it… So, connecting electronically, we can do.

But how do we make our vidcons (or phone calls or texts) fun – and keep the kids you love coming back for more! Simple, bring puppets to the party!

Try this simple idea to stay connected – and to deepen your connection – with the children you love during COVID-enforced isolation.

• Set up a video-chat puppet show: bring some puppets into your calls. You can make an elaborate show, or simply use them to talk through the process of being apart, or COVID-enforced isolation, or anything else you think the children you love might need help processing. You can also use them as simply silly props, to get a laugh every now and then, as they explode onto screen unannounced and do something crrrrraaaazy – as puppets often do!

Find some more FREE ideas on this and other topics at ConnectedApart.

Stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart – and throughout this challenging COVID period – by bookmarking ConnectedApart.com, by joining the ConnectedApart Community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected during COVID.

Does COVID have you locked down, far away from the kids you love?

Have you tried calling them, only to get the cold shoulder after the umpteenth ‘looks-like-a-vidcon-with-your-workmates’ video call?

There’s only so much conference-call-like shenanigans that the kids can take. So, throw caution to the wind, put aside your ’20-favourite-yoga-moves’ coffee table extravaganza, and…

• Set up a video-call dance party: Pick you favourite play list, throw off your shoes and get ready to boogy. Sure, you might feel embarrassed, dancing around in your house, hotel room, barracks, or container on your own, in front of a screen – but when the children start screaming in delight, or teasing you about how foolish you look (in between trying to hide their laughter), you’ll know how worthwhile the effort is. Aside from getting a good workout, you’ll possibly all laugh your heads off, which in turn will give you and your immune systems a boost for days to come.

Find some more FREE ideas on this and other topics at ConnectedApart.

Stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart – and throughout this challenging COVID period – by bookmarking ConnectedApart.com, by joining the ConnectedApart Community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected during COVID.

COVID has us isolated in our homes, but it doesn’t have to keep us apart from the kids we love. We have the technology, from FaceTime to Skype, from Zoom to Google Meet, WhatsApp, you name it… So, connecting electronically, we can do.

But how do we turn this electronic connection into a deeply personal loving connection, which brings the children we love oodles of happiness, helps them feel understood (which they need now, during these uncertain times, more than ever) and keeps them thriving? Simple: make your vidcons (or phone calls or texts) fun – and keep the kids you love coming back for more!

Try this simple idea to stay connected – and to deepen your connection – with the children you love during COVID-enforced isolation.

• Question your sanity with a crazy quiz night: we all need to keep the old grey matter fresh – and kids love a challenge – so, what better idea than a (regular) QUIZ NIGHT!
• Set the time, set a theme, make your questions, dress up and get ready for hilarity, collaboration and, yes, some loving competition…
• Chose a theme that you and your little one love – from sports to Disney movies, culture to toys, famous people to favourite treats. The world is your oyster!
• And don’t forget to throw some family questions in too, potentially as bonus questions, e.g. what’s grandma’s middle name, where were you born, what’s mamma’s favourite perfume! These types of ‘bonus’ questions aren’t just a bonus in terms of points, they are a bonus because they bring you and the children you love just a little bit closer to your shared heritage and/or to knowing one another a little better and, therefore, to a deeper more knowldegable connection.
• Quiz night is also a great way to teach the kids you love about winning and losing and, if you divide into teams for the quiz (e.g. kids versus ‘oldies’), about teaching them the value of collaboration and teamwork.

Find some more FREE ideas on this and other topics at ConnectedApart.

Stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart – and throughout this challenging COVID period – by bookmarking ConnectedApart.com, by joining the ConnectedApart Community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected during COVID.

COVID has us isolated in our homes, but it doesn’t have to keep us apart from the kids we love.

We have the technology, from FaceTime to Skype, from Zoom to Google Meet, WhatsApp, you name it… So, connecting electronically, we can do.

But how do we turn this electronic connection into a deeply personal loving connection, which brings the children we love oodles of happiness, helps them feel understood (which they need now, during these uncertain times, more than ever) and keeps them thriving? Simple: make your vidcons (or phone calls or texts) fun – and keep the kids you love coming back for more!

Try this simple idea to stay connected – and to deepen your connection – with the children you love during COVID-enforced isolation.

• Try virtual cooking together: teach the five to tween you love, how to cook something you love. Bring the two together! ‘Cook’ can simply mean ‘prepare’, such as in how to prepare your favourite sandwich, snack or treat.

And while your cooking:

• Look for opportunities to engage in ‘sidetalk’ (a technique to broach topics that might, otherwise, be difficult to discuss more directly). It might be a nice chance to ask the children you love how they feel about the current COVID situation… and to provide them with cups and cups of love and reassurance 🙂

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 – and throughout this challenging COVID period – by bookmarking ConnectedApart.com, by joining the ConnectedApart Community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected during COVID.

Keeping connected with the children we love during this difficult COVID period is a both a challenge and, believe it or not, an exciting opportunity to deepen our connection.

We have the technology, from FaceTime to Skype, from Zoom to Google Meet, WhatsApp, you name it… But what can we do to make vidcons more fun – and keep the kids we love coming back for more?

Try these simple ideas to stay connected – and to deepen your connection – with the children you love during COVID-enforced isolation.

1. Take some time to play porta-(as in ‘portable’)-you: Simply agree (with the children you love and their caregiver/s) on a time to call and make a video call to their internet enabled device. Encourage the children you love to carry ‘you’ around, to explore whatever it is that’s important to them on that particular day. They might take you outside to smell the roses, into their room to play, to the couch to read a favorite book, or to their desk for help with their homework. Let them call the shots, let it be spontaneous, surrender to their creativity, and immerse yourself in their world. It can be an incredibly empowering experience for them, where they feel ‘in charge’ of the relationship, and a fun experience for all (never before have they had a portable you!). Check out some more details in one of ConnectedApart’s earlier posts on this subject.
2. Make a ‘where in the world are you’ quiz: You might not find the place exciting –  but rest assured, wherever you are, the children you love will find the place exciting – because, ultimately, it’s all about you, not the location. Depending on the age of the children you love, you could send them questions in advance, and have them research answers – you’ll probably even learn a few new things! You could play the quiz at a pre-agreed time online, via a video call for example, or over a few days or weeks, via text message. One question a day, or even one every few days, with make your connection stronger.
3. Hold a long-distance treasure hunt: Before you leave – or, if you forget, just ask the caregiver/s in charge – hide a few presents around the home of the children you love (one for each game you intend to hold). You can either play the game in real time, via phone or video-call, or you could play the game by text, sending clues to the children you love, until they find the prize.
4. Set up a video-call dance party: Pick you favourite play list, throw off your shoes and get ready to boogy. Sure, you might feel embarrassed, dancing around in your house, hotel room, barracks, or container on your own, in front of a screen – but when the children start screaming in delight, or teasing you about how foolish you look (in between trying to hide their laughter), you’ll know how worthwhile the effort is. Aside from getting a good workout, you’ll possibly all laugh your heads off, which in turn will give you all a boost for days to come.
5. Set up a video-chat puppet show: take some puppets with you, wherever you go, and bring them into your calls. You can make an elaborate show, or simply use them to talk through the process of being apart, or anything else you think the children you love might need help processing. You can also use them as simply silly props, to get a laugh every now and then, as they explode onto screen unannounced and do something crrrrraaaazy – as puppets often do!

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 – and throughout this challenging COVID period – by bookmarking ConnectedApart.com, by joining the ConnectedApart Community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.

Want to stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart? Of course! So, as them the best test question in the whole wide world: where in the world are you?! From ConnectedApart’s ‘Ideas For All Ages‘ section:

Make a ‘where in the world is (insert the name of your relationship)’ quiz about where you are.

You might not find the place exciting – and if you’re on a business trip, its probably not, just a dull string of taxi cabs, hotel rooms and meetings. But rest assured, wherever you are, the children you love will find the place Awesome (with a capital ‘A’) – because, ultimately, it’s all about you, not the location.

Depending on the age of the children you love, you could send them questions in advance and have them research answers – you’ll probably even learn a few new things yourself! You could also play the quiz at a pre-agreed time online, via a video call for example, or over a few days or weeks, via text message. One question a day, or even one every few days, with make your connection stronger. Admit it. Its great being the centre of attention – for a change, especially when you’re so far away from the children you love. So, live it up!

Check out 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 share your ideas!) and by signing up for ConnectedApart’s free idea-letter, delivered once-monthly, directly to your inbox.

Featured image by Fredrick Kearney Jr on Unsplash

Want to stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart? Of course! So go portable, and let those super kids carry you around with one finger! From ConnectedApart’s ‘Ideas For All Ages‘ section:

Take some time to play porta (as in ‘portable’)-(insert the name of your relationship), e.g. porta-daddy, porta-mamma, porta-grandad, etc. 

Simply agree (with the children you love and their caregiver/s) on a time to chat and make a video call to their internet enabled device. Encourage the children you love to carry ‘you’ around, like super kids, to explore whatever it is that’s important to them on that particular day.

They might take you outside to smell the roses, into their room to play, to the couch to read a favorite book, or to their desk for help with their homework. Let them call the shots, let it be spontaneous, surrender to their creativity and immerse yourself in their world. It can be an incredibly empowering experience for them, where they feel ‘in charge’ of the relationship, and a fun experience for all (never before have they had a portable you!).

Get some more details on this from one of ConnectedApart’s earlier posts and visit ‘Commitment Three‘ (Availability and Fun) at ConnectedApart for more great ideas (and remember, they’re all free… so they just keep gettin’ greater!).

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 share your ideas!) and by signing up for ConnectedApart’s free idea-letter, delivered once-monthly, directly to your inbox.

Featured image by Steven Libralon on Unsplash

Don’t have time to visit ConnectedApart for its huge range of free ideas, designed to help you stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart?

Want ConnectedApart’s great ideas served to you, for free, on a silver (and blue) e-platter? 

No worries. Can do. Will do. 

Beat the Holiday Rush and sign up now for ConnectedApart’s Idea-letter for free ideas, delivered once a month, directly to your inbox, and stay connected. While it might fill up your brain with awesome ideas, its hardly gonna clog up you inbox!

Sign-up Now

Note: ConnectedApart complies with the US CAN-SPAM Act. Read ConnectedApart’s Email Policy for more information.

In sum, I will never spam you and will keep your e-mail address confidential. I will also not sell, rent, or lease ConnectedApart email lists (administered by MailChimp) to third parties. I will also not provide your personal information to any third party individual, government agency, or company (other than Mailchimp, which administer’s ConnectedApart’s email list) at any time unless compelled to do so by law.

All e-mail from ConnectedApart will clearly state who the e-mail is from and provide clear information on how to contact me/ConnectedApart. In addition, all e-mail messages will contain concise information on how to remove yourself from the mailing list so that you receive no further e-mail communication from ConnectedApart should you so wish. 

Helping the children we love with their homework is not only central to their intellectual and  emotional development, it also teaches self-discipline and, as Steve Jobs suggested, one of the most important determinants of happiness in today’s fast moving world, i.e.: perseverance.  Sure, it can be a hair pulling exercise, at least for those mere mortals among us with no teaching experience, but its a duty that we must lean into.

This is especially true when we’re apart. Not only can your loving assistance help to foster a stronger connection between you and the children you love, but it can also serve as a massive dose of ‘over the horizon relief’ for the caregiver left behind – who often feels like the unappreciated task master, while you get to skip in and out (virtually of course) with fun calls and carefree interactions.

But what to do? Simple. Try ConnectedApart’s ‘top five’ for starters:

1. Check in on homework: make sure, during your interactions, to supplement fun times with session on schoolwork, extracurricular activities and homework (not that this shouldn’t be fun too!). Offer to help with homework remotely, ask to see something that the child you love is doing in class – for example in terms of reading, writing, science, maths – and ask for a special demonstration of their favourite sport. You could make school work questions part of every call and/or schedule a special session once a week, to work on a particular subject/activity.
2. Start up ‘Problem Solving Central’: In addition to checking in on homework, hold a special session on problem solving: use child/age-friendly examples from your life and invite the children you love to share problems from their lives too. Its a nice way for you to connect with the real day-to-day challenges of the kid/s you love, and to teach problem solving skills at the same time.
3. Read books to the children you love – either take them with you, download one via amazon, or use an online service such as Levar Burton Kids’ Skybrary (just pick a book and hold the screen of one device up to the webcam of another) or something like readeo (with its ‘bookchat’ feature).
4. Ask the child/caregiver/s to install a particular educational app on their/the family’s tablet/iPad/computer, which you can play together. Then spend some time together with the kid you love, via video chat, while s/he plays the app, or play the game together.
5. Ask the school of the children you love whether they use, or would consider using, Seesaw. Its a great app to stay connected with what, and how, they are doing at school.

Check out 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 share your ideas!) and by signing up for ConnectedApart’s free idea-letter, delivered once-monthly, directly to your inbox.

Featured image by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash

Don’t have time to visit ConnectedApart for its huge range of free ideas, designed to help you stay connected with the children you love when you’re apart?

Want ConnectedApart’s great ideas served to you, for free, on a silver (and blue) e-platter? 

No worries. Can do. Will do. 

Beat the Holiday Rush and sign up now for ConnectedApart’s Idea-letter for free ideas, delivered once a month, directly to your inbox, and stay connected. While it might fill up your brain with awesome ideas, its hardly gonna clog up you inbox!

Sign-up Now

Note: ConnectedApart complies with the US CAN-SPAM Act. Read ConnectedApart’s Email Policy for more information.

In sum, I will never spam you and will keep your e-mail address confidential. I will also not sell, rent, or lease ConnectedApart email lists (administered by MailChimp) to third parties. I will also not provide your personal information to any third party individual, government agency, or company (other than Mailchimp, which administer’s ConnectedApart’s email list) at any time unless compelled to do so by law.

All e-mail from ConnectedApart will clearly state who the e-mail is from and provide clear information on how to contact me/ConnectedApart. In addition, all e-mail messages will contain concise information on how to remove yourself from the mailing list so that you receive no further e-mail communication from ConnectedApart should you so wish.