Being an involved parent while
long-haul trucking requires focus and determination. It can be very hard to be away from your family for large portions of time. Especially if you have younger children. However, you can use technology to help you stay involved in your kids’ lives. Make time to talk on the phone or video chat with them every day. You can also use apps to stay in touch and connected even over big distances. You can turn your traveling into a teaching moment easily. And finally, you can send postcards from places you drive. Although it can be lonely on the road, you can still be an involved parent if you make the effort.
Being an Involved Parent While Long-Haul Trucking: Keep in Touch
Make Time for Call/Video Chats
The easiest way of being an involved parent while long-haul trucking is to schedule time to talk on the phone every day with your family. Even better, try to make time to video chat with them. They’ll be able to see your face and you will feel more like you’re there with them if you can see them too. Try to make it a constant, dependable habit for them. Children thrive on habit, so make an effort to incorporate your call as part of their daily routine. Maybe it could be part of your bedtime ritual each night. Or you could chat with them over breakfast each morning. Try to take into account different time zones and call them on the same schedule every day.
Apps
There are plenty of modern
apps on your phone that are helpful with being an involved parent while long-haul trucking. You can download apps that can show your family where you are traveling each day so that they can follow your travels. You can find apps to let you send them short videos throughout the day. Download any school apps so that you can follow along with their grades and keep up with changes at their school. You can even find apps to let you watch a movie with them virtually or have a family game night. Use modern technology to your advantage to help you stay connected.
Turn it Into a Teaching Moment
Being an involved parent while long-haul trucking is hard because you won’t be as involved with their day-to-day lives. Most of which consists of school. However, you can use your job as a teaching moment. Have your children map out your routes to help them learn American geography. You can also ask them to research areas you’ll be driving through to find any important historical sites along the way. Give them trivia facts to learn about each state you drive through. There are a lot of ways you can utilize your job to enhance your children’s learning.
Send Post-Cards
Finally, being an involved parent while long-haul trucking can be made easier by relying on an old classic. The postcard. Children absolutely love getting mail addressed just to them. Find postcards along your route of interesting places and send them as you travel. Your children will love hearing from you in such a personal way. Postcards also make a great memento for them to hold onto to show how much you care about them. Don’t forget to tell them about funny things you see along the way.
Being an involved parent while long-haul trucking is hard. But with some dedication and good habits, you can stay connected to your family even out on the road. Use modern technology to your advantage by scheduling time for calls and downloading apps that keep you connected. Use your travels across the country as a teaching moment to help your kids learn about American history and geography. Finally, don’t forget that children love getting mail. Postcards are a great way to involve them in your job and stay connected. Although you will miss them, you can still be very involved in your kids’ lives while being on the road.
