How to keep in touch with long distance family members
Sometime it can be hard to maintain a smooth relation with our family member when they are in another state or country. Take a initiative with enthusiasm and zeal to connect with them. This article has few simple steps for staying in touch with them.
Introduction
Sometime you attach or create a bonding with a family member or any closed one. But this relation fades away when they move to another state or might be in a different country. Though you get lonely without them, but hesitate to connect virtually. The following steps will surely help you to reconnect with your family members.Steps
Write informal letters
This is one of the easiest and oldest form of communication. By writing letters you can easily keep in touch without having talked to them for long periods of time. Exchanging letters every week or month is a kind of fun and unique activity as well. This is the best way to keep in touch with older members, especially those who don't know much about modern technology. This is also convenient, so you can refer back to the old letters whenever you want to recall. Letters are excellent to provide you some personal touch if the writer uses different color of ink, design, handwriting, etc. Letter is useful for those interested in recording family histories and save them for future generations. It is always a special meaning if you get a handwritten letter from a family member on a special occasion like birthday, new year, Diwali etc. Because they know you better than anyone else, write us in such an informal way like you are talking to them in person. If you have children, always encourage them to draw a picture or write their own letter to be included with your letter.Write emails
Emails are nothing but the modern form of letters. Instead of writing a letter using pen and paper, you can write the same over electronic media. It's much easier to send because here we do not need to post the latter and take time to reach to the destination. Email is free of cost and takes no time to reach the other's inbox. It's more effective, time saving and economical.Make use of mobile phone
If you do not have their current number, you can ask them for it through social sites like Facebook, Tweeter, Skype or ask another relative. Contact with them by calling now and then to catch up. It is a good way to keep in contact. Hearing the voices of each other makes conversations more realistic, touching and it can bring family members together. But it is more difficult to have a phone conversation when you are in different time zones, so in that case leaving a string of voicemails, or SMS conversation is more suitable. It's a better way without hesitating to contact with them.Connect them on social media
Nowadays, more families and friends are connected with each other than before on social media sites, especially Facebook, Tweeter, Skype, etc. It is the easiest way to stay connected with your family member and friends all the time when you are far away from them. Write statuses, upload pictures, home videos so anyone can be updated with anything new or important in your life. First try to find out what your family member was already in social media. Request them to add. You can also send a request to another member, for joining social sites.Communicate using instant chatting, voice calling services
For continuous communication, you can install various apps services for your PC, Android/iPhone mobile. Ready to install various instant messaging services like: WhatsApp, Hike, etc. Not only messaging using those apps you can able to establish voice calling as well. Set a time to connect and chat, voice calling to them.Connect with video calling services
Skype, IMO or Google Hangout are easy to use and more familiar for video calling. Video calling is the latest way of communication to keep up with people who are far away from you. It's also very interesting to see your close one live, every day, every time. You can identify how their looks change over time.Send out email updates
If you are busy for personal conversations with each and every family member, it is easy enough to send out automatic email updates to relatives. For that, simply give a few details about your recent news. Some family members will do the same with you too.Send out cards for any celebration or holiday
Posting some pictures and cards for major holidays and/or celebration is a wonderful way to keep up to date with family members and relatives, even they far away. Many of them will send these out to you as well, so that every member can stay connected with each other.Send gift or care packages
Look for some special or unique gifts in your state or country that your family would not familiar with their area. Fill a box full of those things, pack them and courier it to your member. You can also choose so many attractive gifts for all ages from e-commerce sites like: Flipkart, Amazon or Snapdeal etc. and send them to the address of your family members. This is very efficient and popular choosing for parents to send their college children whom can make a request for homemade, mouth watering snacks and sweets. Stop living in the past and talk about the present and future
As member grow up, their characteristics and behaviors change over time. Instead of having a perception or view of a family member of what they used to be or act like in the past, look at them of what they are now, or in the future. Connect each of them as per their age. Talk with them over career paths, education, professional life, extended families, or other life changing moments. Do not go into much about their personal life. Keep in touch with their pets too
After all pets are also a part of the family. Send some dog treats or dognip for the pet as a part of celebration gift.Tips
The author has given useful tips for keeping in touch with family members, relatives and friends who are away, though writing formal letters has become almost defunct these days. Barring immediate family members like children, siblings and parents etc. , the relationships thrive on give and take basis. There has to be something common among the people to continue the relationship. Nowadays social sites like Facebook is a good means to keep the immediate social circle updated about the latest happenings. However intermittently voice or video chats should be carried out. The people who have migrated to other places are generally smarter and therefore they become generally selective in maintaining relationships. However wishing on birthdays, anniversary, sending e-cards on all festivals and other appropriate occasions etc. helps in maintaining relationships. In case the economic status is matching then there are more chances of continuing relationships for longer periods. There are certain people in the society who try to develop relationships from selfish point of view. For such people chances of continuing relationships for longer periods with an individual residing at distant places becomes even more challenging as they get exposed soon.