Parents apart: Living away from your children

Parenthood is such a diverse experience and families in 2022 come in so many different shapes and makeups. For some parents, part of parenthood means living away from your child for extended periods of time and a big question or source of worry is how to stay connected with your little one while being apart from them.

Moreover, due to culturally held thoughts regarding being a family, many guardians who live away from their youngsters face disgrace and special difficulties. In this article, we separate why a few guardians might live away from their kids, what challenges they face and how you can cultivate an association with your kid while being separated.

How do parents come to live away from their children? 

There are many reasons why parents may come to live away from their children for extended periods of time. Here are some of the most common reasons:

You travel for work

A common experience of working parents who travel for work is being required to spend sometimes weeks or even months at a time living away from your children. 

You have shared custody 

In the event that you have shared guardianship, you may simply have the option to see your kids a couple of days a week or fortnight. Assuming you have separated or isolated, you might have pursued the choice for your kid to live transcendently with their other parent or gatekeeper.

You are separated by distance

There are many reasons why this can occur, such as half of a separated family needing to relocate, or needing to send your child to another location for school while you need to remain behind for work. In this case, you may only be able to visit your child when you have the time and funds to make the trip to where they are located.

Your life circumstances mean you can’t be with your children

Life has its high points and low points - and this, tragically, doesn't stop once you become a parent. In the event that you have encountered an individual emergency, you might settle on the choice to live away from your kid for their own prosperity.

You are experiencing illness 

Whether mental or physical, ailment can influence any of us in any time of our lives. In the event that a psychological or actual sickness expects you to remain at an emergency clinic, you might encounter living separated from your kid until you recuperate.

What challenges do parents who live apart from their children face? 

Living away from your child can be one of the hardest things parents have to do. As there is a very fixed idea of what family means societally, a lot of parents can face judgment or isolation from others. Some of the challenges they may face are: 

Feelings of loss, guilt and stress 

Many parents who have to live apart from their children feel strong feelings of loss about missing out on the everyday parts of parenthood. When co-parenting and living apart from your children, it is normal and valid to mourn the parts of motherhood/fatherhood that you don’t get to experience on a day-to-day basis. 

Besides, many guardians feel remorseful about passing up these ordinary minutes. They might try and feel terrible for partaking in their lives while away from their youngsters as they feel remorseful for not having the option to associate with them.

When isolated from their ex-accomplice, many guardians find arranging and making co-nurturing game plans undeniably challenging and upsetting. In the event that the connection between guardians is stressed, this can put a ton of additional pressure while sorting out to visit or to get their youngsters.

Social stigma and shame 

When living apart from their child, many parents face social stigma and isolation which can lead to feelings of shame. Spaces like mothers’ or fathers’ groups can feel inaccessible to parents who consistently live apart from their children since their experience is quite different to the majority of other mothers and fathers. 

Financial stress

If your child lives far away from you, it can cause financial stress as getting to see them may depend on your financial situation. Think plane tickets, travel costs, potentially even a hotel and time spent away from work. 

How to connect with your child while parenting from a distance

Many guardians who live separated from their kids are entrusted with making associations from a good ways. The distance, the conditions and the times of the youngsters all affect the manners in which guardians can associate with their kids. Here are a few systems to attempt on the off chance that you live separated from your little ones:

Talk with their other parent or guardian 

While it can cause pressure or be awkward, where conceivable, remain in total agreement as their other parent or watchman. Keeping an open line of correspondence can make it simpler to orchestrate times to go see your youngsters. Moreover, when great correspondence is available you can get a superior comprehension of how your kid is acting and feeling when you're not with them.

Record memories 

At the point when you are investing energy with your kid - recording recollections and causing customs together can assist you with feeling associated, in any event, when you are separated once more. By taking photographs and recordings, when you are separated from your kid, you can take a gander at them when you are missing them. Moreover, ensuring your kid approaches an image of you together, can comfort them when you are separated.

Every family, parent and child is different and so the ways we connect with each other can look different too. No matter if you live with them, or have to spend time apart, there are many ways we can connect with and show our children love. Remember, often your circumstances don’t reflect anything about you as a parent, and with the right support, it is possible to be a great parent, even from a distance.