Keeping in touch with parents/family

Former Member · April 2006

Being a busy professional man, I struggle to find time to phone or call round to see family and 2 or 3 weeks can easily pass without contact. Does anyone else experience this? My mother (who is on her own) will then phone with a usual greeting such as "hello stranger, it's Mummy" and then I'll feel guilty at not having been in touch and respond "oh, I've been awfully busy Mummy, and just not stopped..." As for brothers and sisters, well they have no chance

Former Member · April 2006

I do the same, also my mum never make me feel guilty for it as she is quite the same. Also even if she tried she couldn't makeme feel guilty as i am not much of a familly man. After all I think your mum can call you too....

After a certain age parents have to understand that their kids have a life on thier own as well and that smetimes they get really busy and can sometimes not forget on purpose to call their parents....

Try to not feel too much guilty about it, that's life, kids are meant to go and live their life whe their time come...

Former Member · April 2006

I bet you could find a time in the week, maybe on the weekend, that you could set aside a couple of hours to ring round the family, even if you're really busy it doesn't take five minutes to ring and say "hi, how're you, glad everything's ok, look still a bit busy, but wanted to ring and see how you are" or whatever.

It doesn't take much to ring. My brother is unbelievably busy but still rings my dad once a week, the rest of us less often, but my dad would ring his mum once a week as well. I find it harder to ring, because of the cost and being a student, but I sent my dad a postcard for no reason from uni once.

It doesn't take much, being busy isn't really much of an excuse.

Former Member · April 2006

I know, you're quite right, however I can be speaking to my mother for up to an hour sometimes, as she has so much to say, poor thing, and often don't have a whole hour. I'll say "lovely to speak to you Mummy, but I must go..." and then another 10 - 15 minutes will pass....

Former Member · April 2006

octavia-1 wrote:

I know, you're quite right, however I can be speaking to my mother for up to an hour sometimes, as she has so much to say, poor thing, and often don't have a whole hour. I'll say "lovely to speak to you Mummy, but I must go..." and then another 10 - 15 minutes will pass....

My grandma is the same... at least an hour on the phone every single time...
My mum aint like that tho, generally even if wehave spoken in weeks in 10~15 mins max it's all done...

Former Member · April 2006

Never being into the whole family thing myself and now my parents live in Greece I'm even less so. My mum or dad will e-mail or ring but not much contact really. As for the rest of the family I see them at Christmas and thats all. As for my brother I think he's a cock anyway and haven't seen or spoke to him for quite a while now we're both living in seperate houses.

My friends are my family.

Former Member · April 2006

When I'm at Uni i find it hard to make time to ring home as often as i should (as much as i love them and everything). So i make sure i txt my mum/dad/sister, as that is quicker than a phone call, and can be done when on the bus or something. Emailing is good also

Former Member · April 2006

Good point. My brother and sister text, and I have thought I must teach Mummy to text as that would assist greatly!

Former Member · April 2006

My mums favourite saying to both me and my sister is "the job of parents is to give their kids wings to fly, now piss off" - sorry I made up the last bit.

Former Member · April 2006

You shouldn't keep in touch with "family". No one chooses their family anyhow.

Former Member · April 2006

I speak to my mum every few days and see her about once a week, but my dad, its ever few months.
I think he wishes it was more, and he does put on the guilt trip a bit when I phone, but tbh, that just makes me put off phoning him even longer cos i know thats what I`ll get when I phone. Ive always been the one to visit him for holidays though and the majority of the time its me initiating the contact, and hes been a bit of an arsehole at times and I think its been maybe 3 or 4 times that hes visited me since I was a kid. He wasnt even going to come for my wedding until his best friend told him to get his arse down to england and see me (it was a surprise on the day that he actually came) He didnt come down for the birth of my son either - didnt even see him till he was seven months old.
I feel like playing him the cats in the cradle song next time he moans about me not being in contact enough.

Former Member · April 2006

Sweet, its my favorite poster :cool:

I talk to both my parents every day for at least half an hour. I call them when I drive home from work. And I always call them at least once over the weekend. I spend alot of time driving therefore I always have time to talk to them. They are just good to talk to, always entertaining.

Former Member · April 2006

I live with my parents still, so it is not the same. But I try and call my grandparents every other day and have a chat with them. Do not see them as often as I would like to now. Only about every two weeks.

Former Member · April 2006

Well, I think the way forward is texting and getting hold of a hands free phone in the car. That would create time whilst travelling and enable a few calls to be made, allowing Mummy to talk at length too! Regular calls would perhaps lead to shorter conversations as well.

Former Member · April 2006

I phone them when I want something. It's been a long time since I phoned one of my brother's, even knowing how he is would be too much unwanted information, I recon noone's to busy to phone their family, it's just that we don't want them very often.

Former Member · April 2006

I've only ever been away from my parents from the start of sept last year, but i make the effort to call my mum usually 2 3 times a week an usually see her every weekend. She's plannin on moving back to ireland soon so i'll only be able to see her in holidays, which feels really weird, but ill still make the effort to call often, she is my mother, and after all and we only get one.

Former Member · April 2006

I live away from home so rarely see my parents. I probably talk to them once every week or something. As for my siblings, I rarely talk to them when I'm actually at home so the chance of me talking to them on the phone is slim!

Former Member · April 2006

I talk to my mam a couple of times a week I reckon, when I'm away at uni. She's always good craic, tells me all the family gossip, what she's been buying, who's pissing her off at work, how many times she's been to the toilet etc etc etc. We email a bit as well, and while I occasionally send my dad or brothers an email they only ever reply with monosyllabic answers so I've just about given up on that.

Speak to my brothers maybe a couple of times a month (or as often as I can afford to if they're off galavanting abroad).

Former Member · April 2006

My Dad is my best mate. As gay as it sounds - I have a really small, tight-knit family. Just me, my Dad and my brother. So I can't see myself ever not speaking to them everyday...

Former Member · April 2006

*Stacey* wrote:

I live away from home so rarely see my parents. I probably talk to them once every week or something. As for my siblings, I rarely talk to them when I'm actually at home so the chance of me talking to them on the phone is slim!

Yeah, same as me. I live away from home (thank God), so I don't get to speak to the family much. I find personally, its much better than living at home with my family and me/them being under the feet all the time.

Former Member · April 2006

i talk to my mum a couple of times a week to catch up on each others news and stuff. we're both busy but theres always time to fit in phone calls here and there... i speak to my sister a couple of times a week too and email and stuff. guess it just depends how close a family you are really.

Former Member · April 2006

In the past, I had talked about estrangement from my parents, an issue which divided people hugely on the boards. In the end, I decided against it. I increasingly try to keep a distance from my family, I feel there's a lot of drifting apart going on at the moment.

Former Member · April 2006

And too add more, I also spend all day emailing both my parents back and forth thruout the work day. I think I spend more time conversing with them now than I did when I lived with them.

Former Member · April 2006

my_name wrote:

And too add more, I also spend all day emailing both my parents back and forth thruout the work day. I think I spend more time conversing with them now than I did when I lived with them.

Either that, or work's just dull.

Former Member · April 2006

Just remember that it is illegal to drive and use the phone at the same time. Hands free sets are an option but can also act as a distraction so make sure to take care. :yes:

Keeping in touch with parents/family

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