Bed time issues

When I was a similar age to your son; my father either worked in another country for months at a time, or, worked in the same country but on an antisocial shift pattern (they were utterly exhausted when they arrived home - all of which was tough on a primary / elementary school child.

Regular telephone calls were not possible - which added to the communication and relationship challenge.

Sometimes the stress a child feels in such a situation revolves around worrying the parent will not know what the child has been doing / enjoyed / struggled with / people they met / places they visited / their hopes and aspirations about future activities (solo or with a parent) ...the concern can be around how to remember and tell the parent all those things when next they meet in person - certainly, without annoying the tired parent arriving home (by bombarding them with a rather over-zealous "video burst" style of greeting).

Low tech, our solution was to "send" personal postcards to each other.  As the child, I could write / draw what I wanted my father to know about - as I thought of it.  If my father was in another country - he would do the same via postcard to me. 

If he was in the same country but on an awkward shift - when he had finished his meal and recovered a bit from his working day - he could look at my postcard and write / draw something on it so I would know he "got it".

These days, postcards are expensive.  Maybe, an exercise book, just for that purpose, could fulfill a similar function? 

Your son could write / draw / put stickers to convey his messages and his dad could add a reply / suitable sticker to show he read it / an expression of enthusiasm / a reassurance for your son about a worry or ambition / provide guidance or a discipline reminder / ask your son for help with a responsibility or chore / acknowledge your son's achievements / discuss ideas about things to do when they next see each other. 

A sort of 2-person diary / journal / personal mood and message board?

I deliberately suggest a physical solution (instead of a smartphone / computer-based one) - as it can be more meaningful (for both the child and the parent) to experience what has been, personally, physically written / drawn between the two of them.  Also, dad can probably get a better idea about your son's strength and state of emotions by seeing writing / drawing / chosen stickers / choice of colour pen etc. 

One of those ballpoint pens with four different colours can be helpful:

- black = just chatting really,

- red = really cross, important, worried, sad, upset, or asking for help,

- green = enjoyed, enthusiasm, excited, happy or looking forward to something,

- blue = wishful thinking, wondering if something might be possible in the future, asking for something out of the ordinary).

When I was a similar age to your son; my father either worked in another country for months at a time, or, worked in the same country but on an antisocial shift pattern (they were utterly exhausted when they arrived home - all of which was tough on a primary / elementary school child.

Regular telephone calls were not possible - which added to the communication and relationship challenge.

Sometimes the stress a child feels in such a situation revolves around worrying the parent will not know what the child has been doing / enjoyed / struggled with / people they met / places they visited / their hopes and aspirations about future activities (solo or with a parent) ...the concern can be around how to remember and tell the parent all those things when next they meet in person - certainly, without annoying the tired parent arriving home (by bombarding them with a rather over-zealous "video burst" style of greeting).

Low tech, our solution was to "send" personal postcards to each other.  As the child, I could write / draw what I wanted my father to know about - as I thought of it.  If my father was in another country - he would do the same via postcard to me. 

If he was in the same country but on an awkward shift - when he had finished his meal and recovered a bit from his working day - he could look at my postcard and write / draw something on it so I would know he "got it".

These days, postcards are expensive.  Maybe, an exercise book, just for that purpose, could fulfill a similar function? 

Your son could write / draw / put stickers to convey his messages and his dad could add a reply / suitable sticker to show he read it / an expression of enthusiasm / a reassurance for your son about a worry or ambition / provide guidance or a discipline reminder / ask your son for help with a responsibility or chore / acknowledge your son's achievements / discuss ideas about things to do when they next see each other. 

A sort of 2-person diary / journal / personal mood and message board?

I deliberately suggest a physical solution (instead of a smartphone / computer-based one) - as it can be more meaningful (for both the child and the parent) to experience what has been, personally, physically written / drawn between the two of them.  Also, dad can probably get a better idea about your son's strength and state of emotions by seeing writing / drawing / chosen stickers / choice of colour pen etc. 

One of those ballpoint pens with four different colours can be helpful:

- black = just chatting really,

- red = really cross, important, worried, sad, upset, or asking for help,

- green = enjoyed, enthusiasm, excited, happy or looking forward to something,

- blue = wishful thinking, wondering if something might be possible in the future, asking for something out of the ordinary).