<p>We started the weekly Sunday call when S left for college. We text first for a good time. We still do that now that he’s on his own in another city. Tonight is our night!</p>
<p>DS is a sophomore about a five-hour drive from home. I don’t think we’ve ever had a phone call from him; he’s got a cheapy unlimited text plan but no voice minutes without paying extra. Also no texts from him, except for the one or two times I have texted him.</p>
<p>I email him occasionally and usually get a response. Sometimes I am honored with an unsolicited email from him, usually about some video game, anime or other pop culture phenomenon. I see him on Facebook from time to time, although he’s pretty tight-lipped there are well.</p>
<p>Sigh. He wasn’t much of a chatterbox when he lived at home, either.</p>
<p>We are generally in contact with the kids a few times/month. S25 lives in DC/VA and flies about 3 weeks/month, so we’re rarely certain of where he is or what his schedule is. Often we try to coordinate to see if we will be in the same city at any point when we travel. We were able to coordinate so we will join D23 in LA for Easter. We will fly to MD afterwards while S remains in LA for work.</p>
<p>Never have been able to have the kids stick to any sort of schedule for keeping in touch–they will text/call as is convenient, which seems to work for all of us.</p>
<p>Even when S was in college, we would generally only hear from him a few times/month. He has always been quiet and reserved. He does call if he has a task he wants us to do or if he senses we are concerned about his health & safety (bad weather near his home, etc.)</p>
<p>D will call us if any problems arise or to coordinate visits and sometimes just to check in. Most of the time, she is pretty independent, which pleases her and us.</p>
<p>My mom lives about 5 minutes drive from my home & I see and call her many times/week. I often see dad several times/week as well. We mostly spoke with and saw my MIL/FIL at my prompting, several times/week (they both died when our kids were young).</p>
<p>D graduated from College in July. Lives and works in NYC. Very independent. We text every few days. I initiate more than she does. We talk on phone once or twice a week, but that comes in spurts, sometimes more, sometimes less. More if she needs some money or wants to share some good news in her life. We do see her for dinner every few weeks in the city.</p>
<p>Just got a text from son to say he’d made it back from a 12 hour drive. We had asked him to text, but I’m still grateful he remembered.</p>
<p>D (only child) is 23 and working very long hours in a stressful job. She texts me daily and calls me several times over the weekend - sometimes to discuss important stuff (should X and I break up?), sometimes to ask me dumb stuff (how do you know when yogurt goes bad?), and sometimes just to vent. Often she talks to me when waiting for the public transportation, but I don’t mind being the time-filler. We communicated more when she was in college - she had more down time then.</p>
<p>I wish we saw her more often, but I’m happy for the texts and phone calls.</p>
<p>We also had the once a week on Sunday phone call deal with my son when he left for college. Since we paid the phone bill, we expected that texts or calls be returned in a timely manner, but we only called/texted when we needed a response. He is 26, lives 700 miles away and travels for work frequently. We hear from him quite a bit now, but this has not always been the case, so I am grateful. I get texts several times a week, he talks to my DH on his commute home 2-3 nights a week and calls in the evening a couple of times a week. He and DH work in the same industry, so they share emails during the week. He has matured to the point where he values our opinion again, lol!</p>
<p>My daughter is 20, a college sophomore 1,500 miles from home. We talk at least once a week, usually when she is walking home from class, but I hear from her by text every day or so. We text photos, comments on our wacky relatives’ social media posts and interesting happenings around campus or home. I also follow both my kids on social media, Instagram is my favorite!</p>
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<p>I think texts should be returned in a timely manner no matter who is paying the bill. That’s just good manners. Emphasis on timely rather than immediately.</p>
<p>Nrdsb4, totally agree! But sometimes, at least with the teenage boys in my family, a little extra push is needed</p>
<p>I sometimes have to send them an email or a text reminding them I sent an email or text, but it doesn’t bother me when they forget.
( although I may have to check their phones online to make sure they are still alive)
The biggest lie I tell myself is " I will remember it later". :o</p>
<p>My contact with my oldest is limited to twitter. She has blocked everything else including email. She stopped following me on twitter, but either she forgot to block me or she had a change of heart, because I can still see her posts & photos.
She is the only reason I even signed up for it in the first place.</p>
<p>I joined facebook for a class, but neither D has friended me on facebook, thankgoodness.
Since 60% of my friends Ive met through the Pearl Jam fan club & charitable functions, Im sure both of my girls would be blocking my news feeds. ;)</p>