<p>It’s just such a great way to communicate with your child when they are off on a campus. My D is at a scholarship interview and is peppering me with wonderful text messages - I stand ready and willing to respond. Talking on the telephone would be so much harder. I love this technology. It’s a good way to communicate with your kids. No substitute for hearing thier voice, of course, but really nice.</p>
<p>My kids find they can communicate with me w/o having to admit to their friends that it’s Mom on the other end. Especially handy when they are out with friends, etc.</p>
<p>The first time DS1 left home for a summer program, we hardly heard from him. There were many hurt feelings and we set up some expectations for a periodic call to let us know he’s alive. Earlier this month, he called 3-4 times a day to chat. </p>
<p>If I had a Crackberry, I could text pretty quickly. As it is, they think I’m ‘pretty fast for a mom.’ DS1 has flying fingers when it comes to this stuff. No way I can compete.</p>
<p>I love it too. DD drops a little text note when anything of note is going on, even a good lesson or winning the intramural soccer game. No waiting for time to talk. We send a couple of lines back and forth and then get on with things. We still catch up by voice at least once a week. She seems closer.</p>
<p>I agree!!! I love texting also. It is great way to let your children know you are thinking of them. Whenever I send a text, I almost always get a call back or text saying they will call later. The unbilical cord stays attached!!!:)</p>
<p>We have learned that S will really read text messages, whereas e-mail tend to linger in his mailbox, easier to procrastinate the topic. Of course we are briefer, too!</p>
<p>Hmm, perhaps I need to take this on–never have texted once. But, I have learned that my kids do not read email anymore (*so *older generation, who knew?), and that they do not, admittedly so, *ever *listen to voicemail–really dinosaur to them. What they will do is check un-answered call log, and perhaps call back. Sigh! Time to pay for texting, yecch.</p>
<p>My favourite is curfew and kids out at night- I go to bed whenever I want, D can text me any info, and I can wake up and check my phone to see what is going on- don’t have to sit up waiting on a late night, just a text to let me know she is home safe- keep it on vibrate and no one else is awakened by the interruption</p>
<p>Count me as another mom dragged into the techie generation! My kids laugh as I have very limited skills on my cell phone, but I can call, answer, check voice mail, and, yes, text. Had to learn that as son is like garland’s kids with voice mail - he just let his voicemail box fill up and doesn’t empty it. Therefore, no one can leave him a voicemail. But texting I know he will get!</p>
<p>I absolutely love it too. D and S1 both text me (and each other) for fun. And it does have terrific practical advantages: Just as CountingDown said, they’ll read and answer a text while they’re out with friends, without having to acknowledge that it’s mom they’re communicating with; just as somemom said, it makes late nights much easier. </p>
<p>PS CountingDown - if you’re thinking about upgrading, go for the iPhone rather than the crackberry! Way more fun, and faster too. The only thing I didn’t like about switching was that I had two years’ worth of wonderful messages (starting with D’s text from her first college overnight) saved on my old phone. I haven’t recycled that phone yet, because although it has no service, I can still read the texts. :)</p>
<p>I tried to text exactly once. But it took forever for me to type it out, having to hit each of those itty-bitty keys numerous times. I stick to my nice, big computer keyboard, send e-mails, and my D even answers most of them! But then I am a 21st c. Luddite: I use my cell phone about once a month. :)</p>
<p>I’m much more proficient now with my Samsung, which has to option to open up to a little Barbie sized keyboard. I still need my reading glasses, but it’s not nearly as painful as it was when I still had an “old fashioned” cell phone. We got unlimited txting and pics, and all have picture phones, so we also send each other silly pics… Usually I send pics to D of bizarre sleeping positions that her cat has chosen for the day. She’s sent me pics of 2 dresses she was deciding between when she was out shopping…or her view of the bball court from her student-section seats. It makes me feel just a little connected to her. Actual phone calls are the exception, especially when we send random thoughts/ questions/ updates when they come up.</p>
<p>I text D (10th grade) when she’s at friends’ houses to confirm what time she’ll be home, etc. It’s not as embarrassing for her - her friends don’t even know it’s mom texting. However, sometimes I call anyway - just to hear the background noise and get a flavor of what’s REALLY going on. :-)</p>
<p>We had to get unlimited texting for S2. Before that we were getting lots of extra charges for texting. In one billing cycle he had over 500 texts! The kids text with their eyes closed. I have to hunt and peck but I’m getting better,lol.<br>
My S1 never answers emails either but will reply to text.</p>
<p>Text messaging does not work where I live at all. For that matter, my cell doesn’t even work at my house. So, the ONLY times i have ever text messaged was to my kids when traveling out of state as it is a novelty but otherwise we never do it amongst ourselves. I also am slow at it as I haven’t done it much but their fingers go so fast on it. They use it a lot with friends in college.</p>
<p>I looked at my cell bill the other day for the first time in a good while and much to my surprise each one of the 4 accounts had been “upgraded” to allow extra texts. I called the company and said “Check my records. I don’t know how to text (or enter names). Why would I ever pay extra when I use zero?” They removed the charges and went back several months and removed those , too.</p>
<p>text messaging is great when you want to talk AT someone rather than WITH them.</p>
<p>I love texting for quick communication when you don’t necessarily want to interrupt someone or get caught in a long conversation. I do not for the life of me understand girlfriend/boyfriend back and forth texts for an hour or more. Just pick up the dang phone and talk to each other already.</p>
<p>Good point in the last two posts. S’s gf of 2 1/2 years broke up with him by text message while we were on our way home AFTER taking her out to dinner with us. Nice, huh? That was 6 months ago and last week she contacted him (again by text) about “why can’t we be friends?” He is still very hurt and angry so usually ignores her when she contacts him, but this time he countered her. It was very strange to me to carry on that type of conversation by text, but I guess that’s the way of this generation.</p>
<p>^I guess texting can have its dark side. I just appreciate it at this time in our lives. Phoning and emailing just don’t seem to be as readily available to my kids right now and I appreciate the evidence in all their text messages that they are thinking of me and wanting to keep me in the loop of their lives.</p>
<p>My friend always texts his mom when we go out, its much easier and he doesn’t have to worry that she wont pick up. Its also funny when she wants to text him something because shes really slow, so she sends him a blank txt message, which means that she is texting something, so just wait. Sometimes he has to wait 5 minutes for a short message. Its funny, but its very covenient, for us kids at least.</p>