How often does your child call home?

[LasMa]

D calls and/or texts and/or emails multiple times a day. We Skype every weekend.

[julieadams]

no worries
my kids call me once a month

[collegemomof2]

I must say I almost am jealous of those whose kids call once a month! I have kids at 2 different schools, one a fresh and one a soph. Both call or text almost every day many times while going across campus. Sometimes I feel exhausted from hearing their every concern but I realize I am just a sounding board. I probably need to get better at brushing it off because things seem to work out for them but I do end up worrying all day about something they called to tell me! One big source of concern this year has been sickness. It's very hard to know your kids are running a high fever, etc and you can't be there to fetch some soup or something...I know it's all part of becoming an adult, but it goes against the my natural mothering instinct.

[cartera45]

I didn't call home much in college because it involved the pay phone and the lines to use it - stone ages, I know. However, I wrote my mom often and she wrote me often. She kept all of the letters that I wrote her and I have many that she wrote to me. What fun I had reading them 30 years later. I felt as though I was reading a stranger's letters and had very little recollection of the things and feelings that I described. They make me miss letter writing. I know I could print out D's emails, but it's not the same. I do remember the feeling of getting out my stationery box and settling down with my study pillow to write. I remember choosing special stationery to use for friends and family. It always gave me a warm feeling and connection to home.

[TheresaCPA]

You mean the Capital Call??? About once a month lately.

[Consolation]

Children call home?

[UCDAlum82]

Eons ago, when I was in college my parents insisted on a weekly phone call. The phone was in the center room of our suite, near the door, and we tended to leave the door unlocked. One early Sunday morning my parents called and one of the guys down the hall heard the phone ringing as he walked by, opened the door and answered the phone, "UCDALUM, yeah, she's still in bed, I'll get her for you..." I'm not sure what they thought, but they didn't call that early again.

My DD's a junior now, and calls when something really cool happens, or if she needs something, or if she needs someone to talk to when walking across campus alone at night. Today I called her for no reason, and she sounded surprised. But yeah, that adds up to a couple times a month. She does occasionally text. But email? Apparently that is for dinosaurs.

[K9Leader]

When my son went off to college (he's now a senior) I had to text him after about 10 days to tell him to call his mother RIGHT NOW or my wife was going to have a nervous breakdown. He settled in to calling once a week on Sunday afternoon/evening but we're lucky to get 15 minutes out of him. My daughter started this year - she calls at least once a week, often a mid-week call as well and gives us much more information - 45 - 60 minute calls (actually, I'm usually on for the first 20 - 25 minutes then I wander away and she and my wife go for another 30 - 40 minutes.

[vicariousparent]

Children call home?

LOL!! I have a feeling I'll be in that boat next year.

[TheAnalyst]

I send a daily email. In response, the freshman sends an email about four or five days a week, down from daily when he first arrived at college. The college senior used to send an email about once a week (but could go several weeks). However, he currently is in close contact (an email every day or even several a day) since he has lots of interesting stuff going on right now.

Phone calls are rare for either, usually reserved for high profile news. I have never looked at facebook (not sure if/how much the kids use it). We don't text with them, although a kind cc poster did recently show me how to text through my computer if I need to.

[TheDad]

The calls we get are usually in the 45-60 minute range but the quality varies...it's amazing how long D can go without seemingly inhaling when she's on a roll. Even slipping in an "Uh-huh" can be a challenge sometimes.

[DadofB&G]

My D calls her mom once or twice a week and if she can't get through, she immediately calls me - at work. She expects me to make conversation, as neither of us are comfortable talking at length.

My S, only 3 years younger, belongs to the new generation which really doesn't understand that cell phones started out as speaking machines. It's text or nothing.

Generally nothing.

[SingDanceRunLife]

I call my mom almost everyday. I sometimes go two days without talking to her, but never more. Usually it's a quick, 10 minute chat just to see where things are, but it's nice to talk to her.