The Long-Distance Dad: How You Can Be There for Your Child-Whether Divorced, Deployed, or On-The Road.

I bought this for my son-in-law. He and my daughter are in the military. Mom was doing well at staying connected to the kids, but dad seemed almost clueless to tap into a 3 and 5 year old's ability and desire for phone conversations. Many good and practical tips for anyone who is separated from loved ones, for any reason. I heartily recomend this book.

Steven Ashley takes the high road in this primer on the proper behavior for fathers separated from their children. Instead of coming across as bitter and vindictive, he is reasonable. He stresses the importance of communication, pointing out that children are ultimately the victims when mom and dad lock horns. Ashley's long-distance dads include deployed military men and businessmen on the road for extended periods. But clearly his target audience is divorced and separated men dealing with complicated emotional issues. Even the most bitter and battle-scarred divorcé will probably agree with Ashley's bottom-line philosophy: Do right by your kids no matter what. getAbstract recommends this book to long-distance dads who sometimes find that challenging.