Stay Connected with Family Over the Miles

In today’s globalized world, it is common for families to be separated by vast distances. Whether due to work opportunities, education, or personal circumstances, maintaining strong connections with family members across the miles has become increasingly important. Despite the physical distance, advancements in technology and various communication platforms have made it easier than ever for grandparents to bridge the gap. Here are 14 ideas on how to stay connected with family when separated by distance:

Video Calls and Tools:

Utilize video calling platforms such as Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom to have face-to-face conversations with family members. Seeing each other’s expressions and hearing voices can make conversations more intimate and meaningful. Consider hosting celebrations like birthdays, bridal and baby showers, or graduation moments with a virtual element. A phone and a large screen TV can go a long way in helping those far away feel a part of the activity. Also add in spontaneous moments, like if you see something a child or grandchild might enjoy as you are shopping, or traveling or enjoying nature, FaceTime them and share the moment to make a memory. In addition, my granddaughter and I enjoy reading picture books to one another and playing board games using video calls. For families with elders who are not as techie, try buying an electronic photo frame that you can regularly update from your phone or computer into their frame so he or she sees the grands or great grands grow and feel more a part of the family.

Regular Phone Calls:

Use your car time while driving or your daily walks to reconnect with your far-flung family. Set aside a dedicated time each week or month to have a phone call with family members. Hearing each other’s voices can provide comfort and maintain a sense of closeness. The benefit of an audio only conversation is you can do it while folding laundry, doing dishes or other simple task—and you do not need to feel camera ready—you can even chat while still in your pajamas!

Social Media:

Stay connected through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or Twitter. Share updates, photos, and videos of your daily life, and engage with your family members’ posts. We have a private family only Facebook group to maintain privacy as we share conversations, prayer requests, weigh in on decisions and share photos. This simple tool can help create a virtual bond and keep everyone in the loop.

Instant Messaging Apps:

Utilize messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or WeChat for quick and casual conversations. We have a “Farrel Family” text messaging group chat where we share photos, make plans, and share a whole lot of humor! These platforms allow you to exchange messages, photos, and voice recordings in real-time, making it easy to stay connected throughout the day.

Email and Letters:

Exchange emails or handwritten letters with family members. Writing thoughtful messages and sharing experiences can help maintain a sense of connection and provide a more personal touch. There are many email greeting card APPS that can add beauty to your words and help you reach out with thoughts of “Get Well” “Happy Birthday or “Congratulations as well as send holiday greetings. In addition, simply folding Children’s Church, or School artwork into an envelopes warms the heart of grandparents, aunts and uncles that might live far away.

Online Shared Activities:

Engage in shared activities online, such as playing multiplayer games, watching movies or TV shows together using streaming services, or participating in virtual book clubs. One of our family favorite activities is to share clean comedian videos or we send movie tickets, and we all go to the same movie then gather to share our reflections after. We also enjoy journeying through the same book or bible study at the same time, our Discovering the Bible series includes art and creative activities, so it works very well for multi-generations. This can create shared experiences and foster a sense of togetherness even if miles apart.

Care Packages, Cards, and Gifts:

Send care packages or surprise gifts to your family members. Whether it’s a small token of affection or something meaningful, receiving a package can evoke a sense of joy and show that you are thinking of them. Bill and I sponsor shared family activities, for example: we have sent sidewalk chalk and encourage each grandchild to post a photo of their creation in the family text or Facebook group; puzzles and then send a photo of the completed project; water guns and balloons or silly string and please send us a video of the family enjoying the memory-making moment. Other ideas might be packing up a paint and sip date, gift cards for ice cream or a family pizza night. One of our favorite traditions, because we have an Irish heritage, is the annual St Patrick’s Day in a box. During the pandemic, I sent bandanas and gift card for barbeque and on zoom one of our sons taught us line dancing! And everyone loves seeing a colorful envelope and a cheery greeting card in his or her mailbox!

Sharing Recipes and Cooking Together:

Exchange family recipes and try cooking the same dish together through video calls. This can be a fun and interactive way to bond over shared traditions and flavors. Recipes can also be a way to share stories from your family heritage and pass down faith and values generation to generation.

Virtual Workouts, Hobbies or Competitions:

Engage in virtual workouts or pursue shared hobbies through online classes or tutorials. This allows you to connect with family members while pursuing a common interest, fostering a sense of camaraderie. Or as in our family, almost anything becomes a competition- send bubblegum and share each person’s biggest bubble; send a dart board and hold a zoom tournament; send a Rubric cube and honor the family’s fastest whiz; or we enjoy Bingo and Pictionary played virtually where participants are rewarded with gift cards as prizes.

Create a Family Blog or Website:

Collaborate with family members to create a family blog or website where everyone can contribute stories, photos, or updates. This platform can serve as a central hub for family members to stay connected and share their experiences. The website can also include pages protected by a password to house vital family documents or genealogy.

Family Reunion and Family Vacation:

While technology can help fill in connections throughout the year, there is nothing as sweet as gathering in person for family holidays, weddings, or an annual vacation of family camp. We highly recommend a vacation with a purpose at a Christian family camp where you gain a mix of family time but also each age group have their own activities and classes to grow in their relationship with God. Some of our favorite family conferences are held at Cannon Beach OR, or Sandy Cove, MD. We also have an annual family vacation, and we rotate places so the younger ones in our family gain a variety of experiences.

Cousin’s Camp:

Many of my friends host a “Cousins’ Camp” where grandma and grandpa give the parents time off and gather all the grandkids in one place for memory-making or a family VBS (Vacation Bible School) Pinterest and Christian publishers are a great help in gathering curriculum and arts, crafts, and activities by theme. Some grandparents offer a weekend off, or every Friday night with Grammy options. Bill and I go to each grown child’s home and watch their children and host a nana and Papa camp while we send their parents on a romantic weekend away or marriage conference.

Segment The Family:

We also host “Father Son trip” and a “Daughter in Law with me “Spa Day” usually in opposite seasons of the year. Our grown children sometimes go on a “triple date” while we watch all the grands. Many of our family friends gather the men and boys during hunting season; Others gather the girls and women for a Black Friday Shopping extravaganza. Our family also has set certain events, like a summer rodeo, as a gathering place each year for our siblings and the extended family. Segmenting the family can give opportunity for time for deeper conversations and connections.

Letters From Grammy:

One of my author friends, Dana Chisholm, hand writes and mails letters back and forth with her grandchildren who live in a far away state. This gives her grands on opportunity to answer her questions, share their lives, send school art and writing and practice their own writing skills. She is saving these correspondences to bind into a book to give each at some later date like graduation or his or her wedding date.

Despite the physical distance that separates families, part of living our best life is staying connected. It is vital for maintaining strong bonds and relationships. With the help of technology and a bit of creativity, it is possible to bridge the gap and ensure that distance does not hinder the love and support shared among family members. Embracing various communication platforms and implementing these ideas can help foster a sense of togetherness and create lasting connections, no matter how many miles apart you may be.

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Pam Farrel is the author of 60 books including bestselling Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti and her newest are Discovering Wisdom in Proverbs: A Creative Bible Study Experience and Growing a Joyful Heart devotional. Together she and her husband Bill run Love-Wise, and they make their home on a liveaboard boat docked in Southern California—so adventuring on the ocean has also become a favorite family activity! www.Love-Wise.com