script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"> google.com, pub-0949974396517105, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

How To Connect with Far-Away Family

“There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.” – There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.” – Henry Ward Beecher… I was a daddy’s girl when I was little. I loved going out fishing with him, although he still complains about all of the fish I let go. I remember that we’d always get those raspberry-filled powdered sugar donuts at 7-11 before we would head to the lake. It’s funny how those little things become such big memories. As I grew into the teen years, my relationship with my dad went through the usual challenges – He thought that as my parent, he was right. But as the teenager, I of course knew that I was right, lol. But now as an adult {ohmyheck, did I just admit that I’m officially an adult? } – and now that I’ve become a parent myself, my relationship with my father is much richer and fuller than ever. That’s why it hit me kind of hard last year when he made the decision to move to Seattle… It’s only a few hours away, but Abby is changing so quickly as she grows, and I hated for him to miss these precious years while she’s little. But – smart momma that I am, I knew there must be some type of solution. Something that would help us stay better connected. Some way for him to be able see Abby as she grows, and a way for Abby to get to know her Papa. I’m happy to announce that I have found the perfect solution to help our family stay close – and it’s so simple, it’ll work perfectly for anyone. Want to know what it is?….

connecting with loved ones

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.” – Alex Haley

With Skype video chat, it’s super easy to connect with Papa a couple nights a week. And Abby LOVES it! She’ll come to my desk sometimes when I’m working, look up at the computer screen, and ask for Papa. She says, “Talk? Talk a Papa?? Pease?” Totally warms my heart. Because even though the drive to Seattle is only a few hours, with all of the crazy-business around here, we only get to visit him once every few months. At first, she would forget him in between visits… And it would take her a little while to warm up to him again when she would see him. But now she see’s him every week. She knows him. And I know it makes him just as happy as it makes us.

using skype to talk to grandpa

“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” – Barbara Bush

We can’t always be close enough to put our arms around each other – but thanks to Skype, we can always be there. And it’s not just my dad that we chat with. With the group video calling feature, you can add up to 10 people into one fun chat. Only one of you has to have an upgraded Premium account, and that person simply invites everyone else to the call. And of course, each of you will need a webcam, so you can see each other. We love to get my dad’s sister on our calls – and sometimes my brother and his kids will jump in too! Do not underestimate what a fun party you can have together – even from far away. Moments like birthdays are more special with Skype – we bring Papa right up to the table, so he can help sing Happy Birthday, and watch the kiddos blow out their candles. He can be here to chat when one of the kids has a bad day. Or we can all just get together virtually to laugh and tell stories together – just like we do in real life. I cannot recommend this enough.

how to skype

It’s time to say more and stay human. It’s time for Skype.

I also use Skype a ton for business. I’m a work from home mom, and the majority of my contacts and partners are in other states – sometimes even other countries. Email works great for connecting with people, phone calls are perfect for clarifying details, but to really brainstorm new projects – talking face to face on Skype is the way to go! I’ll share a few tips on how I make Skype work for my business  with you soon. Until then, I want to know…

How do you stay connected to loved ones who are far away? Share in the comments!

{Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Skype via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Skype.}

signature

Comments

  1. Keep in touch… I have my immediate family close to me — and I don’t keep in touch the way I should with the extended family.

  2. Love these photos! We live far away from all our family being a military family. It has taken an act of congress for the grandparents to get on board/figure out technology but they are finally there. We skype with them and now use facetime. Hooray for technology!

  3. Video chats got my other half and I through the long-distance part of our relationship and helped him build a relationship with them even before I introduced him face-to-face. I’m very thankful for it.

  4. I would LOVE to use Skype with my grandparents (they live 5 hours away and can’t drive too much anymore so we only see them a couple times a year). I know that they love our phone calls & drawings that we send them but seeing the kids would be great. However, they don’t own a computer nor do they even want one :) It’s amazing to have this technology nowadays though!

  5. My kids love it when we go to visit somewhere without Daddy and we video chat with him. We do the same with the grandparents sometimes too :)

  6. How fun! I wish more of my friends/family back home had Skype. I live 1700 miles away from “home” so it’s hard to keep in touch!

  7. I’m definitely going to have to look into the group chat – it would be great to get my mom and my grandmother on the same chat with the kids!

  8. Great post! I love using the group Skype! I’m in the process of getting as many family members as possible set up on Skype.

  9. I love using Skype on my iphone to keep in touch with my MIL! She lives 8 hours away so it’s nice to be able to see her face and feel like we’re actually face-t0-face.

  10. I love that she will wear the headset! My son loves to video chat but doesn’t quite get it yet! I’m looking forward to when he can chat with his out-of-state grandparents!

  11. Skype is such an amazing tool. I know two women whose husbands were deployed when they gave birth and they were able to have their husband “there” via skype. While I’m sure it’s not “enough” it’s so much better than being completely disconnected.

  12. I should video chat with far away family, but I don’t.

    Most of my immediate family loves close. So, I can see them whenever I want.

  13. Skype has been infinitely helpful in connecting my family too! When my youngest son was born my mother lived 3,000 miles away and we used Skype to introduce them, now we use it as a way to talk to in laws and family we don’t get to see as often. It’s perfect.

  14. I am still a Skype virgin! I have however enjoyed talking to my dad via Google talk!

  15. This is just so sweet. I have a little daughter too and we Skype with my mom a lot. I love the pictures. It’s so great your little girl can have a relationship with her Papa.

Speak Your Mind

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.