Q: Three years ago, our daughter and her husband moved out of province and out of range for us to drive over for the occasional visit. We seldom get to see her. And now that she and her husband have a new baby, I am missing her more than ever. We get over twice a year and we get to see pictures on our computer regularly but that does not seem to be enough. I would like to contribute more to my daughter and her family but I am not sure what to do when we are so far away. Do you have any suggestions?
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A: I can only imagine how frustrating it is for you to want to help your daughter and her family and to find yourself unable to do so.
The world in which your daughter and her new baby are in is not that much different from the world that confronted you as a young mom.
People are judging new parents and often those judgments are discouraging. There is still someone in the office that is going to make a sharp remark when the baby makes your daughter late for work.
There are still people in the grocery store who show their impatience when the baby lets loose with a howling session. You can still hear rude comments in an airplane when a child is not settling in quietly.
Your daughter is still going to run into other parents who are jealous and hostile, sometimes even mean.
Even from a distance, you can be sensitive to your daughter and let her know that you are there for her with a telephone call or a brief text message. All that she needs to know is that you understand.
Check out End Mommy Wars on YouTube, a seven-minute piece that addresses what moms confront. The show could open the door for conversation between the two of you.
She is miles away but the support your daughter will get from that chat could mean the world to her.
