“A dad can still impact his child’s life, even at a distance,” Andrés Schumcke, founder of unbabydaddy.com.
As part of our weeklong celebration of dads and dad figures, we had the opportunity to talk with Andrés, founder of the space unbabydaddy. Andrés lives in Colombia and, for personal reasons, his family is in the US. As he was getting ready to join them, the pandemic hit worldwide and Andrés was not able to travel.
Andrés is a devoted father who is not letting physical separation intervene between his son and him. They have established a daily routine that includes video chatting several times a day. Especially important for Andrés is reading together and praying before bedtime. Raising a child at a distance is not easy. It can be frustrating and lonely but Andrés is not giving up. He continues to create opportunities to bond with his son. His goal is to create memories they can both look back at once they’re reunited.
Are you raising your child at a distance? Here are a few tips that can help!
1. Establish a daily routine that includes a skype, a face time, or Zoom visit. Maybe have breakfast “together” every day, read a book “together”, pray “together.”
2. Make sure you can connect from anywhere and that there is strong WiFi connection on both ends.
3. Exchange photos and videos often.
4. Don’t forget the teachable moments. Dads can still guide, educate.
5. Add humor to parenting. Laugh is the best therapy, and it can make a difference!
Mil gracias, Andrés!
