Talking to Your Kids about a Move Away

There is a great piece by Carrie at DistanceParent.org on how to talk to your kids about a move away: I’m Going to Move Away… How do I Talk to My Child About it?

To move away from a child is an extremely difficult decision, and no loving parent makes this choice lightly. We must make the best decisions in our power. While living in the same house or at least the same city is ideal for everyday parenting, it is possible to be a great parent from a distance as well. It is important that we take care of ourselves, to make sure that we can provide for our kids. There are also many levels of distance -- and we do the best we can with what we have. Not a day goes by that I don't run through the decisions I have made in my mind, but whenever I do, I feel confident that I am making good choices for my family. In fact, I have been able to broaden my son's life experiences by bringing him to visit me in San Francisco, New York, and France. Each family must determine what works best for them, and despite what people may think, sometimes there really isn't any other option.

In this article, Carrie offers some solid recommendations for how to make a move away as positive an experience as possible for your kids:
--Find support through sites geared towards long distance parenting
--See it as a positive yourself.
--Anticipate the negatives and come up with some remedies.
--Go crazy researching long distance parenting ideas.
--Think of all the great things that the other parent will be able to give your child.
--Put together a plan for how you will stay involved.
--Put together a statement of intent for how you would like to co-parent.

And final note: "If you are a total team cheerleader on behalf your child AND the other parent, YOU can make it work."

Click here to read the whole article.