<p>I’m a freshman, about an 8hr drive from home (in Cleveland, from NYC area). My parents requested one phone call a week. I often end up calling more than that. I hurt my knee a few weeks ago and had to go to the ER… for a few days I was calling every couple hours (needed to know what to do, how to get the pain meds the doctor prescribed, insurance info, cry when I was in loads of pain, make follow-up orthopedist and MRI appointments). I don’t call as much now, but I still end up calling a couple times a week if I have a question… often that turns in to a half hour chat. </p>
<p>I text my mom sometimes (my dad doesn’t have text-messaging). My dad and I also communicate through facebook messages often.</p>
<p>My S when he was in college used to call me daily while walking to and from classes. He continues to this day, calling me every weekday while driving home from work. He’s 27.</p>
<p>My D hardly called in college and still doesn’t. I have to call to remind her (leaving messages) we haven’t talked for a week and then she may call back.</p>
<p>I consider myself very fortunate. We talk with our son very regularly. He texts and e-mails also. We also love Facebook. He loves sharing all the new and exciting things he’s experiencing at Harvard</p>
<p>I hate that technology has enabled the everyday/every minute contact for college students. I found that my children tended to call immediately when they need help for even minor issues. I weaned them off of that suggesting that they try to solve their own problems without my help unless it was something major. It seems to have worked. We now talk once a week and text occassionally. This generation seems to have problems with independence and I think the cell phone thether has a lot to do with it.</p>
<p>In general DDs don’t call us, we call them. Though they do return calls when we have interrupted something and they ask to call us back later. :)</p>
<p>I insist on at least one weekly call, even if it’s just to tell me that they’re still at school (and to verify that I’m still alive to pick up the phone). Sometimes one of them will send me a text or email to meet the weekly phone obligation. </p>
<p>I try to reward them for calling by making the calls short & pleasant. I don’t whip through 101 questions about their roommates, classes and social lives, or remind them to wear a hat when it’s cold outside. Instead, I ask how their money is holding up (yeah, right, like I don’t know they could always use more), or tell them that I just mailed them a goodie and be sure to pick up their mail. I liked the dog analogy used by an earlier poster. I use positive reinforcement to encourage them to call. I figure it’s an investment in my retirement years.</p>
<p>They usually don’t miss more than one call a semester, since I have no problem with using my finely honed guilt-inducing skill to traumatize them. Missing another weekly call isn’t usually worth it after I get through with them. </p>
<p>I’ve also noted that the calls are much more frequent when they need help, things aren’t going well, or they’ve worn out their friends on an issue. They also call more frequently the closer we get to Christmas. Go figure.</p>
<p>My daughter and I are very close, so we talk everyday. This has nothing to do with her being homesick or anything like that. She absolutely LOVES college. Usually she calls when she is on her way to a class, and we just chat for a few minutes. We also IM, text and video chat (though not everyday.)</p>
<p>Another note on calls home: The frequency of calls D’s first semester away, on the other coast, would have, if graphed, perfectly illustrated the concept of exponential decay.</p>
<p>I said this once before, but I really liked it, so I am going to repeat myself! :)</p>
<p>I kind of feel like Annie Hall, in the movie— I say, “We are only in contact (text, email, phone), like, three times a week!” She says, “What do you mean, Mom, we are in contact (text, email, phone) all the time-- like, three times a week!”</p>
<p>When I was a student–my mom called me about once a week…usually Sunday ams…
and I called home from time to time during the week. (I am the oldest and a daughter)</p>
<p>My neighbor hardly heard from her son, but would get calls from her two daughters more frequently.</p>
<p>'M a sophomore, and though my 'rents told me to call home maybe once every other day or per week, I call home pretty much every day for maybe a half hour or so. I miss home too much not to, plus I’m one of the few people my mom feels comfortable confiding in, something I don’t want my mom to miss. I also text my little sister several times a day, and email once a week.</p>
<p>And looking at the thread, I guess it’s not common, but my calls are longer when I’m idle or happy. If something’s wrong (and it isn’t major), I tend not to call 'cause I don’t want my parents to worry unnecessarily.</p>
<p>This is a great question. I have a senior (daughter) who still calls her mother daily and a freshman (daughter) who calls about once every two weeks. Based on their personalities, I can’t say I am surprised. We have a great relationship with both.</p>
<p>DD calls most days. I never call her unless I miss her call or can’t talk when she calls. She doesn’t like to talk on the phone so I let her say what she wants to say and then we end the call. Our conversations can be as short as two minutes. I also email her 2 or 3 times a week. I am a friend on facebook but NEVER post anything on her wall.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>