In our family, we have iDad. No, no—that’s not a typo. iDad is the dad my kids have for two-thirds of the year. Let me introduce you to iDad.
I’m not a tech fanatic, and I’m not the best at it, but I keep up with things. I manage just fine, even though not too long ago, I didn’t want to know anything about it. I’d rather have my kids play outside or play fun educational games than let them use my iPad. Of course, I do resort to it sometimes; I’m human, and I need to buy some peace now and then.
However, my iPad is always very much present in our home. Dad works on the road. He can be away for up to two months at a time, so it’s important to me to do everything I can to make sure he stays in touch with his kids—and vice versa. At just one year old, my son recognizes the ringtone of the iPad—iDad—when it rings. What a joy to see his face light up at that sound and watch him crawl all over the place to see where he’ll pop up this time!
We’ve established routines as much as possible, even with the time difference. Dad always brings a storybook with him. So my daughter gets a story from Dad every other day, all by herself in her bed with the iPad—it’s their special little moment. We sometimes have family meals together despite the distance and the different time zones.
Dad enjoys this too. It lets him be a part of his children’s lives in general—finding out if they had a good day, what they did at daycare, watching their gymnastics moves, and, most importantly, not missing the big milestones his children reach. My son took his first steps to go see his dad on the iPad—what a beautiful moment and perfect timing! Luckily, I had my phone handy to film it!
Do you have tech-savvy family members?