When you are the parent of a teenager or young adult these days, you have to learn to embrace technology in order to communicate with your offspring. 

Kids these days text, and snapchat, and tweet, and Instagram their lives. In many ways, it’s awful, I agree. But, truthfully, in many ways it’s also quite wonderful. My kids have to pick up the phone and call and talk to me nice a week. It’s a requirement. I don’t care if it’s FaceTime or Skype or a regular old phone call; if they want us to continue to pay tuition, etc. then I must hear their voice once a week. It’s the rule (and it works for me.)

But, the rest of this stuff? I quite like getting glimpses into the lives of my two college kids. I enjoy the fact that they send me little text messages or snapchats throughout the day – they never fail to bring a smile to my face. It’s always nice to know that they’re thinking about us. 

Whether it’s random stuff from Paige in Tallahassee…

   

  

  

Or from Clay in St. Augustine…

   
   
They make me happy. 

And informed. Would Paige remember to tell me that her French teacher keeps weird office hours the next time we talked? Or that mature college kids were drawing…uh, naughty things in the elevator? Probably not. 

And, of course, I learned that she and her suitemate went to see Rocky Horror Picture Show the other night. And that she went to the football game with a group of friends dressed as minions, and went out that evening dressed as Wednesday Addams. 

   
    
  
    
    
    
    
    
   
More random communications:

   
    
    
 
Luckily, Clay is close enough that we actually see him about once a week. Usually…

   
   

But, as nice as these glimpses into the kid’s lives are, I can’t wait until Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks when I’ll get to have my whole family together and under one roof again. 

Pictures and texts and snapchats are nice. They help. But I miss my kids, and having a full house, and the noise and messiness of a family.