Before I married my lovely wife, I was a non-custodial parent. And even though I had visitation with my son, there was a point in time when I lived a few states away and couldn't spend time with my son. Below are some creative ideas I used and that you can use to spend time with the children you love that you may not see as often as you'd like.

1. Have a photo of yourself copied onto a puzzle, a cup, or some article of clothing to give to your child.

2. Take a photo of your child and make a collage. Put your child in the middle and use magazines and stickers to find words that will encourage your child and show your love for them. Laminate it and send it to them.

3. Make a recording of yourself singing your child's favorite songs or reading their favorite bedtime story.

4. Arrange for flowers, pizza, etc. to be delivered to your child before or after a special even (a play, recital, sports game). Include a note telling them how proud you are of their accomplishment.

5. If your child is a collector (i.e. trains, Barbie, sports cards) each month, send a new accessory, part or card to add to their collection.

6. Have a star officially named after your child. Call 1-800-282-3333.

8. If both you and your child have access to the internet, then go on a virtual field trip together. Be sure to use a free program like AOL Instant Messenger so you can communicate with each other while looking at the webpages. A couple of places to start would be NASA (www.nasa.gov) or PBS (www.pbs.org).

9. Play Internet games together like Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune, both of which can be found at sony.com. If you have younger children, nickelodeon.com and nickjr.com also have games and activities that can be done online. Other online games include golf, card games, chess and checkers.

10. Make a package that contains cookie cutters and the non-perishable ingredients of your child's favorite cookie so you can "help" them bake while you are away.

11. Play "Hide and Seek" from a distance. Have the person who is taking care of your child hide the treats you sent in predetermined "hiding spots." Give your child clues on how to find the treats over the phone or in a letter.

12. Mail a piece of your clothing that has your cologne scent on it as this is the strongest sense in the body for recalling memory.

13. If you travel, send postcards or photos of yourself in a letter to your child and share about the thing you did and saw while you were there.

14. Write a short story together. Take turns writing sections or chapters. When you finish have your child draw the cover while you type it and bind it. Then send a copy to your child.

15. Buy a coloring book and some crayons and begin coloring some of the pages. Then mail the book to your child and have color some pages and mail it back. Do this until you've completed the book.

16. Keep a journal of your life to be passed to your child.

You can find some of these and more at http://www.fambooks.com/daads/fathering.html.

Chris Jones is a father of two in Fredericksburg and graphic designer. Contact: always.write@hotmail.com.
Chris also writes on Fredericksburg Parent Magazine's blog.