About

About DistanceParent.org

Sometimes circumstances put distance between a parent and their child. Distance doesn’t have to mean the end of a close, loving parent-child relationship. Parenting is about being involved, being loving and being available. Although it’s difficult to be far away, with enough resolve, any parent can plan a big role in a child’s life - whether near by or far away.

Long distance parent-child relationships can be the product of divorce custody disputes, moveaways, working abroad or travelling long distances. In order to maintain a close relationship with their child, long distance parents face a unique set of challenges and feelings that parents within close physical proximity with their children don’t face. General parenting sites, while helpful, don’t offer the support that long distance parents and children need.

Most of all, long distance parents will find hope, support and a community to connect with here. Don’t give up! Where there is a Will, there is a way!!!!!!

How The Site was Born

This site began one dreary day on February 10, 2004 in San Diego, CA. I was contemplating my upcoming internet visitation with my son and commiserating over how much I miss him. I got online and started looking for others who could relate to that. I got lost among a sea of dead links, old email addresses and the taunting echos of 404 errors.

Oh, they are out there, to be sure. From time to time reaching out on a message board and then disappearing. I ran across a blog entry by ‘debbieb’ who said she thought long-distance parenting must be a very rare phenomenon because she had yet to find someone who knew anything about it. I wanted to shout with joy.. only to find out that to respond, I had to pay to join the service she was blogging on. Bummer.

So here I am. I’m a long-distance parent and I am not alone. There are tons of you out there. Sometimes we are non-custodial parents. Sometimes we simply work abroad out of necessity. Sometimes, we are products of ‘moveaways’. Sometimes, work requires that we travel immense amounts. We don’t advertise it sometimes because of the stigma attached to being long-distance parents. But we are good parents who are wonderful people - with a very different set of circumstances.

These pages will include personal stories, ideas and concepts that I’ve tried, book reviews, how-tos and essays and such from others as well.

About Carrie

I am 28 and former long distance mommy to one. Although my son chose to move to live with me, he now maintains a long distance relationship with his father and it is important to me to help him do so. I still actively participate in long distance parenting cuases and continue to support other long distance parents. Outside of The Distance Parent, I work full time as a project manager and live in California.

I’m not pro mom’s rights or pro dad’s rights or pro female or pro male. Nor am I anti-any-of-the-above. I’m pro kids and relationships with parents. I am active in reaching out to educate about long distance parenting skills.