Grandparent’s Day is Sept. 8 this year, and as families express gratitude for those special relationships between older and younger generations, there’s also cause to celebrate more ways than ever to stay in touch. Whether your kids have grandparents in the metro or far away, or you’re a grandparent seeking to connect with those high-tech grandkids on their level, 12-year-old Samuel Roldán shares his three favorite options for keeping in touch.
My dad is from Costa Rica, which is also where my grandparents live. To me this means I can’t talk to them as much as I wish I could. My favorite way to talk to them is in person when they come to town, but that’s usually for two weeks of the year, and then they have to go back to Costa Rica. I have to call them using my dad’s iPad. Sometimes I can’t call them because my dad is really busy or the battery is low or dead. Now you’re probably thinking, “Well, why doesn’t he call them with his phone?” Well, that’s simple. I don’t have a phone, iPad or anything I can talk to them on. So I have to use something else to talk to them, and I am definitely not going to mail them!
- I love to call my grandparents on FaceTime. I love that I can talk to them and see them at the same time.
- Another way I love talking to my family is by using Skype. One thing about Skype that I wish FaceTime had is the ability to leave a message. Another benefit of Skype is you know if someone is online or not. That way you aren’t disturbing them while doing something like going to the beach or, I don’t know, trying to expertly drive up a mountain without falling off a cliff.
- There’s an app called WhatsApp that can be super useful, too. You can send photos with it and call them or send videos or just plain chat with them.
