101 Ways to Be a Long-Distance Super-Dad ...or Mom, Too!

Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (5/08) Do you ever wonder how mothers, fathers and children of divorce make it in today's world? Do the parents communicate well with the children? Do they fight over the children? Does one parent keep the other from talking to the children? I know a lot of divorced parents and most of them share custody of their children. There are very few children who go through the tragedy of a father or mother not wanting to, or not making an effort to see them. Here is one example of a couple that was married for fifteen years. The father decided to be with another woman. Though not long distance, he did leave his wife and children for this other woman. In his mind, he only cheated on his wife, not the children; he refused to believe that his adulterous relationship had any effect on them whatsoever. Though the mother was willing to let the father come to the house and see the children, the girlfriend would not let him see the children at all. The sad part is that the father lived and worked only ten minutes away from his children. He didn't try to show his children that he loved them no matter what happened between him and his wife. This is a sad case and doesn't always happen in marriages but it does happen. I believe that this book, "101 Ways To Be A Long Distance Super Dad... or Mom Too!" gives us great tips on how to communicate with our children if we are divorced, and if one of us has moved away to another state, etc. This book explains how to find out about children's interests and likes so that if the relationship were long distance, it would be easier to keep the children interested in a phone conversation. Plus, it will also let the kids know that we are interested enough in them to take the time to find out what they like and dislike. Your relationship with your child is the most important, or should be the most important thing in your life. Let's not forget that today we have computers, which makes communication a lot easier. We learn in this book that we can keep in touch with the children by email and fax. We can also play games online with our children if we are long distance from them. These little things can make a child very happy. They just want time and love from you, no matter where you are. George Newman has put together a great book for us, so that times like these can be easier and fun for our children and us. He lets us know that no matter how far we are from our kids, we can reassure them, that we can love and care for them. They don't have to be a statistic whose parents never bother to see them after a divorce. I, for one, thank George Newman for this book. I know a lot of parents who have enjoyed it. I give it a "thumbs up" and hope that he brings us more books like "101 Ways To Be A Long Distance Super Dad... or Mom Too!" in the future.

This is an excellent book for long distance parenting ideas. Some are rather generic, but you can build on those to make them even more special. I recommend this book to any parent who is away or going to be away from their children for any length of time at all.I was so impressed that I used this as a recommended book of the week in my [...] newsletter [...]!