For those with long-distance families, how do you keep them involved in your children’s lives? Do you send pictures? Do the kids do crafts or pictures often for them?
I’m very blessed to have my mom and my 2 brothers and their wives all within 1 ½ hour drive. Sam’s family is all over the country, and my extended family (with whom I’m really close) is also scattered around the world. I try to keep up with posting pictures on Shutterfly and sending those links out. But I know it’s not the same as seeing the kids on a regular basis. Is there anything more I could be doing??
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We have always lived away from family. We moved from TX to CO the day Ty graduated from Chiro school, which put us 12/13 hours by car from my parents in TX and brother in AZ, 7 hours from his and that didn't change when we had kids. In fact, it got worse, when the kids were 2, 3 and 5 we moved from the USA to Ireland so we are now, about 9/10 hours by plane from all our family. We have always been REALLY good at the picture taking and we keep a website updated (as best I can) with current pics and our goings-on and then send out emails that it has been updated so people can see what we are up to. We also talk to the g'parents about once a week or once every 2 weeks depending on what's going on. Ty and I talk to our parents pretty regularly so it makes it easier to keep them in the loop. We have also put video up on the site a few times too. It's hard sometimes because they miss birthdays and Christmases and stuff like that but it just makes the times that we are together that much more precious and we keep that in the front of our minds while we are there and try to make the most of our time together. I have emphasised that a lot with family when we come home for visits or when they have come here, to not bring a bunch of gifts or have presents there for us for the simple reason that I want the 'gift' to be the time we are there and not the new toy. Obviously b/c they are grandparents, they don't listen very much, but I try :0) When they were really small, we kept photos around the house of all the family too and referred to them often, so that when they did see them they weren't strangers, they knew them by name/face and that helped too. It's always sad when we have to leave or when they leave from their visits, which is hard on the kids especially. I struggle with that every time, on what to say and how to comfort them. Since they don't get to see them often, it makes leaving really a hard time for everyone!
We have family that lives far away, and to keep in touch, I post pictures and milestones on a free baby website (www.babiesonline.com) that you don't have to have an account or login name to view. I also send some pics and things that the kids made when I can,or pictures that they've colored. We also make it a goal to see them at least once every year and a half or so by planning vacations to see them, or having my dad send his frequent flyer tickets so we can fly. As far as the kids go, we have a "look who loves baby" plastic book that we put pictures of our out of town family in so that when we do get to see them the kids will know who they are. They also love talking on the phone with grandpa ad grandma and once I figure out how this video chat thing works on our new computer, we'll probably do that too.
We don't have any family nearby as well (2 1/2 hrs and 6 hrs)and just try to plan visits whenever we can. One thing that has worked out well is for me to take the kids on my own for visits during the week while Brian works. It's a lot of work, but worth it in the end. Plus I think he secretly enjoys the peace and quiet in the house every couple of months!
Our families are 13 hours away and 26 hours away by car. We don’t fly to Canada b/c it is too expensive but we can manage the drive. The trip to PA is usually an all day event when we go by plane. We try and go each place once a year. Our web cam has been the best purchase ever! Byron’s parents, his brother/sister-in-law, and my sister/brother-in-law all have them too. It’s wonderful because they can see Mackenzie and talk to her and it’s free! Mac knows that she can talk to Gram and Pap (Byron’s parents), Raidan (our nephew) and Mark and “Auntie” (my sister). We don’t have to pay any long-distance since it is all over the ‘net. My parents have the web cam but their computer is too old so they are thinking of getting a new computer b/c they have seen the wonders of the web cam. I send physical pictures to my grandparents and they LOVE it. I try to do it about once a month, usually when I send a big ‘ol update e-mail to friends and family.
we send pics, and try to talk on the phone a lot to mark's family. the kids are adorable talking, walking around with hand on hip!
--Meghan
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