Staying Connected
In the seemingly endless bustle of the world today, sometimes
making and keeping contacts with your children and grandchildren
can be a frustrating it-or-miss process.
Fortunately, all this bustle has forced the creation of several wonderful and multi-purpose avenues of contact that quickly and easily open the doors to staying connected with your family members.
The days of giving anyone a quick call to their home telephone, or 'landline' telephone, and making the connection are pretty much gone. You will, most likely, encounter an answering machine whose message is as unique as the person you are calling. Leaving a message is a far cry in satisfying your need to make contact, but at least you heard the familiar voice of the person you were seeking.
The most successful telephone connection today is the cellular, or 'cell', telephone. It is nearly impossible to be unfamiliar with these little communication gems—as they seem to be glued to the heads of countless people walking, driving, shopping and dining. If you have avoided this mode of contact, for whatever reasons, please reconsider. The explosive growth of cellphone use has brought this tremendously convenient mode of communication into the hands of people 6 to 90 years old. No longer a 'gadget' or 'fad', the cellphone has even replaced many families' landline telephone service.
The importance of the cellphone, in your need for staying connected with your kids, is that probably every one of them have a cellphone nestled in their purses or pockets, or have one clipped to their pants. In other words, there is immediate access. In terms of staying connected, this is the primary bulls-eye and a tremendous asset to everyone concerned.
The value of utilizing a cellphone service becomes apparent the first time you use it. Whether your first call is to re-confirm the time of the ball game, which mall everyone is meeting at or how the big test, interview or date went—the sheer fun of having that immediate contact capability is priceless. So, if the cost of cellphone service is holding your back—think again. Besides, there are numerous services available today, ranging from standard contract services to pay-as-you-go services. Many of the pay-as-you-go services come with a cellphone, so you have no extra expense. All contract services offer a free cellphone you may use at the start of your service. The cost is minimal, easily controlled and your return is extremely satisfying—nearly instant access to your kids and grandkids!
Another element in cellphone communications is the text message. Certainly not a new development, text messaging is, however, the newer 'rage' in cellphone use. This capability allows a user to transmit, or 'send', messages that are typed out using the cellphone's keypad. Where a user would normally be pressing keypad numbers to dial a telephone number, the user instead presses keys for the letters associated with each key. The popularity of this seemingly tedious process has produced a wide range of cellphones with larger keypads, or extended keypads. Unfortunately, no matter what design changes are developed, the keys are still very small and the letters even smaller, making this possibility for contact with your kids somewhat limiting. However, once again, a text message is immediate, personal and will garner a quick response. It is especially useful for times when taking a cellphone call is not appropriate, during class, at work, or certain social functions.
All cellphone services have the option of 'voicemail', the cellphone service equivalent of the answering machine, but be advised that this process is not as immediate as a text message, so if your need is pressing—use test message or make a cellphone call.
A final note on cellphones: nearly all now have photo-taking capabilities. In other words, you can use your cellphone as a digital camera. This means that you can take a picture of something, have it be captured within the 'memory' of your cellphone like a digital camera captures images, and you can transmit it to another cellphone. This extraordinary capability opens huge possibilities for contact with your kids. Want to see the new baby and mom? The photo is waiting on your cellphone—and you can talk to the proud parents too!
For the computer literate crowd, staying in touch with your kids is only a few 'keystrokes' away. Computers allow an enormous amount of information to be relayed in a very secure and user-friendly way. No longer a daunting device for highly technical individuals, computers have become straight-forward, easy to use, nearly indispensable accesses to our families and the world. Whether we use the letter-writing equivalent, the 'email', or the conversational 'IM' or 'instant messenger'—the result is the same—delightful, personal contacts with your family. Email allows the same thoughtful response and give-and-take as letter writing—only for hands unable to hold a pen and successfully write, it means much more. One finger and one keyboard open a way to enjoy, once again, the special communication of letter-writing.
IM, or instant messaging, is a mode of communication where the user can type a conversation that is seen immediately by the other user. There is a unique intimacy to this form of contact, as each user sits at their computer and 'talks' back and forth. The process is not limited to 2 users, so often you will be able to 'speak' with numerous members of the family—whether they are across the country, or across the world.
Finally, a great way to interact using your computer is through a family website. This internet use can usually be set up at no cost through your internet provider. The website becomes a focal point where anyone in the family can post pictures of, or write about, the latest events. A family website allows everyone a leisurely way to catch up on family doings and stay connected. For the kids that are far away, for school, work or in the service, a family website can be the tender thread that holds the fabric of family together.
Whatever communication you choose, some or all, be sure to take advantage of the myriad forms available—and stay connected with your kids!
