How to be there when you can't be there

By The Associated Press

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Dan Verdick, a father of two and a frequent flier, put his ideas in the book "The Business Traveling Parent: How to Stay Close to Your Kids When You're Far Away" (Robins Lane Press).

Some of his ideas include:

• Create a keepsake box. Together with your children, decorate a folder, binder or even a large shoe box for them to store any art or schoolwork while you're out of town.

Then, when you return, make an event of going through the box and talking about the contents.

• Track the weather. With your child, cut weather symbols, such as a sun, umbrella, snowflake and cloud, from construction paper.

Ask your child to track the weather for you while you're gone, so you will know what you missed. Every day he can look outside to see what the weather's like. Then he can tape the appropriate symbol on that day's square on the calendar.

• Call for story time. Start with two books. When you leave home, give your child one copy of the storybook you have chosen and bring one on the road.

During your trip, call home every night around bedtime and read the book with your child over the phone. If your child is learning to read, let him do the reading.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company