Families who migrate to other countries often do so in stages, with one parent moving and another staying behind. This is often necessary when one parent gets a job in another country and leaves first to build savings and find a place to settle. Sometimes visa complexities can make immigrating all at once difficult too.
No matter what the reason, it can be difficult be apart…especially during holidays.
This Father’s Day, whether your father is across the U.S., in Mexico, India, or somewhere else around the globe, you can still make the holiday special.
5 Ideas to Celebrate a Far-Away Dad on Father’s Day
1. Send a letter, email or even a text explaining how much your dad means to you.
Many dads may not like to get sentimental in front of you, but pretty much everyone likes to know they’re loved and appreciated. This Father’s Day, tell your dad what he means to you or why you appreciate him. Or share a memory that he doesn’t realize means a lot to you. Even a short text saying you love him can make him feel special.
2. Watch the game together.
These days, you don’t have to be in the same room or even same country to watch your favorite team together. Whether you like soccer/futbol, tennis, baseball, or cricket, chances are there is a game or match streaming live that you both can tune into. Host a watch party through a video service like Zoom so you can talk to each other too. If you really want to add to the fun, send your father a team jersey ahead of time, so you can both wear one like you might if you attended in person.
3. Send photos or videos of your kids.
If you have kids that your dad doesn’t often get to see, send him recent photos through the mail or photos or videos through your phone. If your kids are old enough to draw, maybe they can create some pictures that he can hang in his home or let them create special cards for him for Father’s Day too.
If there is a family photo you know your father loves, think about ordering a framed copy of it online and have it sent directly to him.
4. Plan a visit or a trip you can take together.
If it’s been a while since you’ve seen each other, plan a visit—either he visits you or you visit him—or a trip you can take together. Maybe you meet somewhere between your home and his. For example, if your father is in India and you are in the U.S., pick a place in Europe that you can fly to separately.
If he’s been wanting to visit but can’t quite afford to, send him money for a plane ticket, if you can. You can send money easily and reliably through our money transfer app, and if you send money regularly, you can save his info in the app to make completing your money transfers even faster. Depending on what country your father lives in, you may even be able to send money directly to his mobile wallet and then he can use that to buy a plane ticket.
5. Pick up the tab for dinner, a game or a show.
Even if you can’t be with him in person, you could buy him a ticket to his favorite sporting event or concert, or send him money for dinner with your mom or his friends. You could even arrange with your mom to make the same dinner on Father’s Day and then all eat together over video chat.
Whatever you decide, keep it low stress—most parents just want you to remember them and call or talk regularly. If money is tight, time is always a gift that’s priceless. So, share some time with your dad or other father figures in your life, and share some time with your kids too.
Have a Happy Father’s Day!
