How do you stay in touch with your adult children?

1. 94

   GoodLadyposted 12 years ago

   How do you stay in touch with your adult children?
   
   How do you maintain a close and meaningful relationship with your children after they have left home, married, relocated?
   What do you do that keeps the relationship between you close?

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2. 99

   chef-de-jourposted 12 years ago

   Keeping a relationship close can be a tricky thing especially if your son or daughter live a long way from you. You have to arrange visits from time to time, send handwritten letters,postcards and gifts for the children if they have them.
   Stay in touch by whatever means you have to hand and don't forget to offer help and understanding no matter what form it takes.
   
   You also have to accept that as time goes by we all change and with that the relatinship, so you may have to adapt/adjust if you're to keep emotionally in touch with your offspring.There are so many ways to keep a relationship fresh these days what with skype and interactive video and so on. You can talk and see your offspring in the flesh so to speak which is special. Even if your loved one is on the other side of the world you can make contact via text and phone and email!
   
   Naturally there's no substitute for meeting face to face, one on one, live!!

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3. 60

   RoxiMposted 12 years ago

   My son is still in college, and lives with his dad during the summer. We keep in touch primarily by phone, and he visits a couple times a year. My parents also keep in touch with their children primarily by phone, and we visit on holidays. Although I live within a two-hour drive from their home in PA, one of my siblings lives in Maine and still keeps in touch and visits. More importantly, at least to me, my mother took me and my son in after my divorce. We lived with her for a year before I was able to get back on my feet. Even if we're not in contact every day, or even every week, our relationship is still close and meaningful.

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4. 83

   sholland10posted 12 years ago

   I keep in touch with my kids through text, phone calls, FB, and Sunday dinner. I am not good at texting, so I usually reply to them by simply calling them.  Technology makes it easier to keep in touch, but nothing can replace quality time with family.  We try to see each other at least once a week.  We are fortunate not to be spread out over distance (yet - they are still young). 
   
   If we were spread out, I would take advantage of Skype at least once a week.  We don't have grandchildren yet, but I would definitely want to see how they were growing.  We are very fortunate to have so many ways to keep in touch.  Being together is the best way, though.
   
   I have often thought it would be great to have my kids in the same neighborhood.  They may not like that, though.   LOL That is until they need a babysitter someday.  LOL

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5. 59

   tirelesstravelerposted 12 years ago

   Email, text, phone and periodically we play games.  The kids are busy and my husband and I are busy, so we really have to work at contact even though we live in the same town.  When they lived far away the road trip was fun for all.  My girlfriend is a grandma whose son and his girlfriend and his baby all live in different places. Yeah its crazy.  She makes videos of her reading stories and sends them to baby.
   It takes work, work, work to keep in touch with kids.

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6. 93

   Marseiposted 12 years ago

   My daughter lives just across the river.  I email her at least once a week, which
   she always replies to.  We see her and family almost every weekend. 
   
   My son lives in England.   His mail comes here so we exchange emails about it and talk to him about once a month.  We see him once or twice (if we're lucky) a year.
   
   My children are 44 and 45.

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7. 63

   Ramsa1posted 12 years ago

   By telephone, email and text. I also get together at least once a month with the ones who live in the same city as me and get together at Christmas with them all. I also go once a year to visit the one who lives in another city.

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8. 85

   tonymead60posted 12 years ago

   Tell them you are about to change your will; that puts the onus on them, they'll stay in touch. It will keep them close too!

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9. 60

   freecampingaussieposted 12 years ago

   My middle daughter is backpacking in Europe with husband/friends & she posts photos etc on facebook which is great !
   My other 2 daughters email/text etc .

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10. 59

    sethpowersposted 12 years ago

    Take it from an adult child (I'm 24), your relationship with your children will remain whatever it was before they left. You just have to understand that they are trying to build their life and the degree to which you have a relationship has changed. Things will feel different because they are: you are no longer living together, you won't talk every day, etc., but that doesn't mean the basis of your relationship is any different. Realize they are busy but love you no less. Because you probably have more time doesn't mean you care more so just keep in touch with them through periodic correspondence like a weekly phone call or email. If you want, go out to lunch with them or something and try to keep abreast of what's going on with their life. Remember, you're their mom, they want to keep in touch with you.

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    1. 52

       avangposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Sethpowers, I have a 25 and 24 year old son. I agree with what your saying yet they seem to have time.  Their wife or girlfriends always take them to their family and I feel sad because I want some time as well.
       What should I do or say, anything?

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11. 64

    CraftingTimeposted 12 years ago

    Facebook. Today, that is almost the only way to truly stay in touch and follow someones life on a daily basis. I have not only stayed in much better contact with my mother but also people whom I havent seen in over a decade such as my god-mother and great aunts.

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12. 77

    American_Choicesposted 12 years ago

    I need to connect on Facebook. Great question because it reminded me of my goal to reach out to our children via Facebook - this is one of my top goals for this year.
    
    Facebook is a portal that every parent with adult children needs to be connected with. From photos to birthdays, it is critical to be a part of our children's lives.
    
    Cards and phone calls are foundation pieces but Facebook needs to be a weekly connection of sharing.
    
    Thank you for a great question!

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13. 61

    Penny Gposted 10 years ago

    They all prefer testing, so I go with it. I prefer to call. At least I get some everyday with 6 Children all over the US.

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