For parents, they often produce guilt about missing family events, abandoning everyday routines, and leaving loved ones behind. Long-distance Effects on Families Research has shown that separation affects family members' thinking and feeling, as well as their behavior. A sense of connectedness seems to be important during times that parent and child are apart. Both child and parent may suffer separation anxiety. Even when together again, they may find it difficult to communicate.
Some children express feelings of abandonment, guilt, anger, and insecurity.
These are similar to feelings children express in the case of a death or divorce. Effects of long-distance parenting can be influenced by the leadership that parents show in dealing with the separation. Children sometimes feel anger, anxiety and fear. They may also feel the parent will never return. If these feelings are dealt in a positive manner, these children soon find that having a parent who travels is a normal part of their childhood routine.