My job doesn’t require a lot of travel. Now and again, though, I have to hop into a rented car and head off into the world, leaving home and family behind. Recently this happened for the first couple of times since my daughter was old enough to really notice and be bothered by it. She’s five, and we’re close.
I couldn’t tell you what the commercial is advertising, but before I left on the first of my two recent trips, I saw a man on TV who had a small stuffed animal with him that he photographed along the way on his trip. My daughter loves Webkinz, so before I left on the first trip, I stopped off at the local Hallmark and picked up a rabbit.
Just as the man on the commercial did, I carried the silly thing with me everywhere. I photographed it on computers, at McDonalds, on a forklift, and all over. I called regularly, but I think it was the e-mails sent through her mother with pictures of this rabbit that she had yet to meet – that was watching out for her Daddy – and that gave us a connection we might not otherwise have had – that kept her smiling and her spirits high.
I don’t know how many of you have tried to talk and communicate on the phone with small children, but it can be awkward, and less than satisfying. With the rabbit to talk about, the e-mails to discuss, we had laughter, and smiles, and when I got home both Daddy and the rabbit got a lot of hugs.
Sometimes it’s the simple things that matter most.
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What a great idea, David! I do travel a fair bit for my job, and trying to chat with my 2-year-old son can be a real challenge. This might be a great way to help keep him “informed” about my travels.
Bryan | @BryanPerson
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What a great idea, David! I do travel a fair bit for my job, and trying to chat with my 2-year-old son can be a real challenge. This might be a great way to help keep him “informed” about my travels.
Bryan | @BryanPerson
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I know it worked for me. We did it again on my second trip and were able to turn it into almost an interactive story…what’s he up to now, what’s his name. The second trip we had Otto the turtle…
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I know it worked for me. We did it again on my second trip and were able to turn it into almost an interactive story…what’s he up to now, what’s his name. The second trip we had Otto the turtle…
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Great idea. I think it was an AT&T commercial that you saw.
My idea doesn’t give IMMEDIATE connection, but will give children something to look forward to and talk about with you. Ever since we had our son, I started a practice of getting a post card from wherever I travel and sending it to him (we do this even for family trips where we are all together). He is too small to care right now, only 21 months, but his Mom reads them to him when the arrive in the mail (sometimes) after I get home.
My wife is going to make these into a scrapbook for him.
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Great idea. I think it was an AT&T commercial that you saw.
My idea doesn’t give IMMEDIATE connection, but will give children something to look forward to and talk about with you. Ever since we had our son, I started a practice of getting a post card from wherever I travel and sending it to him (we do this even for family trips where we are all together). He is too small to care right now, only 21 months, but his Mom reads them to him when the arrive in the mail (sometimes) after I get home.
My wife is going to make these into a scrapbook for him.
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That’s a great idea. And it also helps keep a family history that will be meaningful for him later.
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That’s a great idea. And it also helps keep a family history that will be meaningful for him later.
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Love the idea honestly. As a ex-military man, i’d have loved to have taken this opportunity on my travels.
Now my son, who is Army, gets stationed overseas for a duty tour, he’s been using the webcam not to send photos but to actually do video chat. it’s not the same thing, but it helps the children deal.
My children are older, but now this is such a good idea, I think I’m going to do it for my grandchildren. I’m already taking selfies each day and recording oodles of blog posts, twitter messages, and more that including something like this will be easy enough.
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Love the idea honestly. As a ex-military man, i’d have loved to have taken this opportunity on my travels.
Now my son, who is Army, gets stationed overseas for a duty tour, he’s been using the webcam not to send photos but to actually do video chat. it’s not the same thing, but it helps the children deal.
My children are older, but now this is such a good idea, I think I’m going to do it for my grandchildren. I’m already taking selfies each day and recording oodles of blog posts, twitter messages, and more that including something like this will be easy enough.
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It is very easy, and it helps build a connection where it’s often hard to find one. Anyone who has tried to just talk to a very young child on the phone knows the difficulty, but if you have a good focus, it gets easier.
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It is very easy, and it helps build a connection where it’s often hard to find one. Anyone who has tried to just talk to a very young child on the phone knows the difficulty, but if you have a good focus, it gets easier.