Traveling parents
How can a parent who travels for work stay close to the kids?
Give the kids a rhythm they can count on: a call at the same time most days, short and often rather than long and rare, video messages for the times you cannot call, and the same goodbye and hello rituals every trip. Calling a screen they can see you on from across the room, like the living room TV, makes those calls feel more like a visit.
Updated October 26, 2026
You are not imagining it
The call where they wander off after a minute.
You finally get a quiet minute in the hotel. You call. Your five year old says hi, shows you the ceiling, and runs off. Your partner apologizes, chases the toddler, and the call ends with you watching a blurry carpet. You hang up feeling farther away than before you called.
That is normal, and it is not about how much they love you. Zero to Three, the early childhood nonprofit, reminds traveling parents not to be hurt if a child is done talking before you are, because young children have short attention spans, and suggests shorter calls more often (Zero to Three).
The fix is not trying harder on each call. It is building a few small habits that make you part of their day even when you are three time zones away.
Step by step
A plan for staying close while you travel
- 1
Agree on call times with the parent at home
Zero to Three suggests talking with your co-parent or caregiver about good and not-so-good times to call (Zero to Three). After dinner and before bath is often better than the middle of a meltdown or right at lights out.
- 2
Keep calls short and frequent
Five good minutes every day beat forty frustrating minutes once a week. End while everyone is still having fun, so the next call is something they look forward to.
- 3
Give them something to do on the call
Ask each child to show you one thing: a drawing, a block tower, a new dance. Play a quick game like I Spy in their room. Kids stay when they have a job.
- 4
Talk to each child on their own
With more than one child, the loudest one usually gets the call. Give each one a minute that is just theirs, even if it is short.
- 5
Leave messages for the hours you miss
When the time zones are wrong, record a short video for the parent at home to play: good morning, good luck at the game, good night. Zero to Three also suggests audio messages telling your child you are thinking about them.
- 6
Count trips in sleeps
Young children do not understand days. The AAP suggests telling them you will be home after a number of sleeps, like "I'll be home after 3 sleeps" (HealthyChildren.org). A paper chain or a calendar on the fridge they can mark off helps too.
- 7
Keep goodbyes short and the same every time
The AAP notes that if you linger at a goodbye, the hard part lasts longer too. A quick, consistent ritual, the same hug and the same words, helps children feel secure.
Compare
Ways to stay in touch, and what each is good for
| Best for | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone video call | Quick check-ins, one child at a time | Someone at home has to hold the phone; kids wander off |
| Call to the living room TV | The whole family at once, bedtime, longer visits | The TV needs a camera; check what yours needs first |
| Video message | Wrong time zones, mornings, special days | Keep it short so they watch to the end |
| Audio message or voice note | A quick "thinking of you" | Little ones may want to see your face |
| Photos from your trip | Showing them where you are | Easy to forget; send one a day |
Small rituals that add up
Little things that keep you in their day.
The same goodnight words
A phrase only you and your child say at bedtime, home or away. Say it on every call and in every recorded message.
Where in the world are you?
Put a map on the wall and mark each city you visit. Older kids love tracking your trips.
A small job while you are gone
Water the plant, feed the fish, save a drawing for you. It gives them something to tell you about.
A countdown they can see
A chain of paper loops, one torn off each night. When it is gone, you are home.
A daily picture
Send one photo a day of something they would like: the plane, the hotel pool, a dog you saw. Ask them to send one back.
Give the parent at home a break
Some calls can be for your partner. A few minutes of adult conversation matters on long trips too.
Where FamilyView fits
Call the living room, not a phone.
FamilyView was built for this. From the FamilyView Android app or any web browser, you call the family's living room TV. The kids see you life-size, from the couch, and nobody has to hold a phone, so your partner gets to sit with the kids in the picture instead of chasing everyone around with a phone at arm's length.
When the time zones are wrong, record a video message up to 2 minutes long, and it plays full screen on the family TV. Good morning before school, good luck before the recital, good night when you are in the air at bedtime.
FamilyView is coming to the Samsung TV app store. You can start free today and set up your side now.
Calls to the TV and video messages are on the Family plan, $14.99 a month for the whole family, month to month, cancel anytime. If the kids split time between two homes, Multi-House covers up to four households for $34.99 a month. See for traveling parents for what the TV at home needs, and the pricing page for every plan.
Questions traveling parents ask
How often should I call my kids when I travel?
Short and often works better than long and rare for young children. Zero to Three suggests shorter, more frequent calls, at times you agree on with the parent at home (Zero to Three).
My toddler will not stay on the call. Is that normal?
Yes. Young children have short attention spans. Give them something to show you, keep it short, and do not take it personally.
What do I do when the time zones do not line up?
Record short video messages for the parent at home to play. With FamilyView, video messages up to 2 minutes play full screen on the family TV.
Is video chatting OK for babies under 18 months?
The AAP says video chats can be beneficial to help build relationships between your child and loved ones (HealthyChildren.org).
How do I explain a work trip to a young child?
In sleeps, not days: "I'll be home after 3 sleeps." That is the AAP's suggestion, along with short, consistent goodbyes (HealthyChildren.org).
What do I need to call the family TV with FamilyView?
The FamilyView Android app or any web browser on your end. For what the TV at home needs, see for traveling parents.
Sources
- Staying Connected While Separated from Your Young Child (Zero to Three), call timing, short calls, recorded messages
- How to Ease Your Child's Separation Anxiety (AAP, HealthyChildren.org), counting in sleeps, short goodbyes
- Kids & Screen Time: The 5 C's Questions to Ask for Infants (AAP, HealthyChildren.org), video chats and relationships with loved ones
Be in the living room tonight, wherever you are.
Set up the family TV before your next trip. The Family plan is month to month, and you can cancel anytime.