Using the Internet to Connect with Long-Distance Grandchildren
You’ve probably heard about video chat and text, but there are so many other ways you can use the internet to connect with long-distance grandchildren. Video chat and texting are just two things you can do. Let’s take a look at some other ways you can use the internet to connect with your grandchildren who live far away.
1. Social Media
It’s a social media age, and grandparents need not feel intimidated by the latest social networking platforms. Most such networks are very user-friendly and easy to figure out. Just set up a page and connect with your grandkids – chances are they have pages, too! If not, see if everyone can get on the same social network. Then you can post videos and pictures, and your grandkids can do the same. Status updates, interests, “likes,” and so forth can all be shared. You may learn some things about your grandparents or grandkids you never knew!
2. Twitter
Twitter is a fun way to share bits and pieces of your day and the latest “news” in your life. Both grandkids and grandparents will need a Twitter account, but they are free and easy to set up.
3. Texting
Texting isn’t just for the young generation – it can connect the old and the young! Texting isn’t difficult, and it’s a fun way to chat through the day. You can share photos and videos via text, too.
4. Google Earth
This is a really fun tool for grandkids and grandparents. Using the computer, you can take a “tour” of a given city, park, landmark, town, or whatever. A fun thing to do is to explore a place together. While you’re on the phone or video chat together, grandkids and grandparents can use Google Earth to “visit” their grandkids’ school, neighborhood, or town. Kids can show their grandparents the soccer field where they practice, or the grade school they attend.
In turn, grandparents can show their grandkids their neighborhood and community. Here are some other ideas for places you can visit together on Google Earth:
* Your grandparents’ childhood hometown and landmarks
* A far-away city, such as Paris or Moscow
* Historical sites (especially fun if you can connect it to something the grandchildren are reading and learning)
5. Blogs and Vlogs
Grandparents can set up a blog that their grandkids can subscribe to and visit, and grandkids can do the same. Most blogs support photos and text, while other platforms support video as well. This is a great way for everyone to stay in touch and read up on what’s going on – it’s almost like a news report on what’s happening in the lives of your grandkids or grandparents!