There are many children in school that have a parent that travels during the week and returns home for the weekend. This list was compiled by children for children and their families to help them adjust to this ongoing transition
- Put a picture of you and your traveling parent next to your bed and have traveling parent put the same picture next to his/her bed in the hotel room/apt.
- Talk to your parent on the phone at night or in the morning when you wake up.
- Give your traveling parent a special stuffed animal for him/her to have when he/she travels and have a special one for you at home.
- Write a journal of your daily activities and share it with your traveling parent either every day by phone or when he/she returns at the end of the week.
- Have a family fun day when your traveling parent gets home on the weekend.
- The traveling parent should try to extend his/her home stay on the weekends for as long as possible. ie Come home earlier on Friday's and leave as late as possible on Sunday or Monday.
- Make a gift for your traveling parent during the week and your traveling parent can make/buy a gift for you.
- You and your traveling parent can make a separate pile of daily notes (such as Monday's note “Dad, I love you!)for each day that your parent will be away. Exchange your note collection(but don't read them) before your traveling parent leaves on Sunday. Put one note a day on your pillow to open either before you go to sleep or when you wake up.
- Having a routine at home when your traveling parent is away is important but you should do at least one fun thing during the week that is different from your regular routine.
- Put a family picture on a mousepad or screen saver.
- E-mail or FAX letters/ pictures to each other.
- Send text messages to each other.
- FAX homework to traveling parent so he/she can see your work and help if necessary.
