Handbook for Parents 3
Co-parenting

Ways to stay in contact with your children

Child Contact Arrangement

• Arrange bonding time in advance, plan the activities with your children so they can feel more involved and enjoy every moment of it.


• Try collecting interesting news articles or small items into a box, or put together a scrapbook or album so you can share them with your children.


• Try doing activities that both you and children can participate in, such as playing chess, drawing, exercising, or watching movie.

Phone call

• If you don't get to see your children often, you can maintain the relationship with them through the phone. Keep each other up to date and ensure they can feel your love and care.


• Call your children on a regular basis so they can look forward to having the call with you. Try and do it only when they are free, not when they are doing homework, having dinner, or on their way out for activities.


• If you don't quite know what to talk to your children about, try and give it a think before picking up the phone. The more you talk to your children, the more you will get to know them and therefore will have more topics to talk to them about.


• What have they done since the last call? Let them know you are interested in the things they do when they are not around you. Mark them down on a notebook or calendar. Share your childhood memories with them – this can encourage your children to share things with you as well. You don't have to know the correct answer to everything all the time, just listen to them and show that you are interested.

SMS text / email / mobile instant messaging

• A very convenient way to reach them anytime, anywhere, letting them know what you are up to recently.