Really interesting! When I went off to college, I more or less stopped any daily communication with my parents – weeks went by without contact. But that’s how it was at camp, too. The only adult person, or even college student, I knew tethered to parents was my mom, who called her mom (long distance!) almost every day.
I sort of thought that’s how it’d be with my daughter? But no - she texts and calls all the time. And talks to her dad, too, has lunch with him once a week or so. She doesn’t seem needy or clingy about it – I just don’t think she conceives of a reason why she wouldn’t talk to us. Honestly if it weren’t for cellphones I don’t think this would be happening – I’m trying to imagine her spending time with us daily on a hall phone, and just not seeing it.
Come to think of it, I can’t remember how my parents got in touch with me at college. Did they call the hall phone and just leave a message with whoever answered? I can’t remember getting messages like that. I think I got email from my dad now and then, but since I didn’t have a computer, it wouldn’t have been all that timely. Letters? Homing pigeons? Can’t remember.