How do you keep in touch with your family?

primarily email and IM. Also Skype now that one of my sisters is studying abroad. Text messages once in a while, and phone calls only if information is desperately needed.

the phone… for many… dragging….hours….

Well, I’m only 18, so I still maintain contact with them regularly. My mom calls me every week or so and I’ll be visiting for Thanksgiving. Not sure how it’s going to be after this. I’ve been talking to my older sister on IM since she started college and I’ve been talking to my younger brother through text lately.

I try not to, but it’s inevitable since we live in the same house. As far as extended family goes, I rarely speak to them. Not because of any ill feelings, I just have nothing to say.

It’s a two minute drive to my Dad’s, so, I see him at least twice a week. My sister lives an hour a way, so, it’s mostly a phone call once or twice a week and email every other day. My one brother hates talking on the phone and doesn’t do email, so, it’s only when our family gets together (once a month, if that), and my other bro, he used to call me everyday and would bitch and moan about a lot of things. I love him to death, but, thank God for calling ID, you know?

My younger children (12-year-old twins) call me quite often and I call them. I also see them on FB, and we IM sometimes, between visits.

My older daughter is 28 and lives in Malibu (I am in New York State). She calls, but is more likely to text. She is in touch maybe once a week.

My older son is 26 and lives in Brooklyn. He will not talk on the telephone; he will only respond to a text, with a text, and even then not all the time. He is an equal opportunity abuser, as he “communicates” with his mom, his step-mom and his brothers and sisters in the same fashion, so I don’t feel singled out. And when I actually see him, he is a loving, charming, amusing and gracious companion. I really have no complaints.

phone. almost every day. free of charge. Awesome!

Mine’s a short answer. Phoning & IMing.

I’ve found that different forms of communication work better with each of my sons. The older rarely responds to an e-mail but we talk on the phone (from Paris) every week or so. Occasionally, we will IM if one or the other is online. The younger one (in San Francisco) is much more likely to respond to an e-mail with an engaging chatty e-mail.

Now that I have a grandson in Paris, we also Skype occasionally; although Jake (5 months old) has yet to declare his preferred method of communication.

Phone. Not very often these days. It is always tense being with my parents, especially when they try to run the same trip on my son that they ran on me. That really makes me see red. Me? That’s one thing. I’m an adult and have learned to deal with their shit. But my son? Forget it! They wonder why the kids didn’t spend much time with them this year. Well, if they want to ask, I’ll tell them, if I think they can hear it. Otherwise, they’ll just have to figure it out themselves. They don’t get to be around the kids without us there, too, mostly.

In person contact with my family is what I prefer. I hate using the phone for anyone. I would absolutely love it if my family were computer savvy and would chat with me online but alas most aren’t and those who are aren’t interesting in chatting with family.

I text my brother frequently. My cousins and distant relatives (Texas, Orange County and Hawaii), I most recently maintain communication with via facebook. My grandparents and a few aunts and uncles I will pick up the phone and call. Miss them…

Oh, and I currently live with my parents while I finish my graduate degree. So I keep in touch and annoy the hell out of them just about every day. ;)

With my youngest son (age 29) and his family by phone, in person, and AIM. With my adult grandson’s, one lives here in the same house, the others by phone and e-mail, in person at least twice a year, and hopefully more, along with the inlaws, nieces and nephews.. My oldest son and his daughter live in Sweden, so e-mail only. My parents are passed on, I keep in touch with my brother and sister and aunts and uncles by mail.

(Talking about my surrogate family here) By phone/snail mail for the post-50s, by FB for the pre-50s, in person as as often as we can, and via email for a very close family friend of Mom’s who is gettingup there in age and doesn’t travel back East much anymore.

Phone, email and Facebook.