Getting Over Empty Nest Syndrome: Keeping in Touch Despite the Miles
English: Three way video chat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When all your children have grown up and either married or moved away, empty nest syndrome is inevitable. Suddenly, that once always busy house suddenly seems so quiet and still. Your house was just the right size for your family but with most members gone, it suddenly seems cavernous. One of the things that can alleviate this sudden loneliness is to keep busy and explore new hobbies. You can take up a new sport like golf or maybe give your green thumb a chance to flourish by creating–or if you already have an existing one, redesigning–a garden in your backyard. Another way of coping with empty nest syndrome is through your grandchildren. The only problem is if they live in another state or country. Going on once-a-year trips to visit them won’t be enough. Thankfully, there are a lot of applications that will help you to communicate regularly so you won’t miss them as much. Here are some of them.
Whatsapp Messenger
The name of this application sounds like “What’s up”, so I believe it was named so with pun intended. This messaging application–which runs on android phones and is free–will allow you to send text messages to people all over the world. So if your grandchild is a teenager and lives in another country, this app will help you to keep in touch without any extra costs. I myself am a fan of this application and make use of it to stay in touch with my friends living in Singapore and England. It makes me feel like I’m just sending a text message in the same country instead of another one across the ocean. You can also use it to send short voice messages, in case you want to hear each other’s voices and share pictures on the spot. Before you can text, both parties must download the application first. After that, all you need is a wifi connection and you can text each other anytime you want. You can even create group chats with family members so each discussion will be livelier.
Facetime
Facetime is a video chat application that will allow you to view the people you are talking with. It functions similarly like other video chat applications like Skype or Tango. Making video calls is a great way to be updated on your children and grandchildren’s lives when they live miles apart in another state. One of the downsides of this video chat application, however, is that it is only exclusive to Apple devices. This only works if you have either an iPad, iPhone or a Mac. You’ll also need wifi for this to work. If you and your family are fans of Apple products then this application is perfect for keeping in touch. If not, there are other video chat applications that are still able to make face-to-face calls regardless if you’re trying to call an Android or Apple device.
Polycom
Aside from mobile applications, there are other ways of bridging the gap between family members living apart. One these options is through using video conference systems like Polycom. Video teleconferencing will take the level of staying in touch a notch higher. In fact, communication lines couldn’t be clearer with its crisp image capture and high definition sound. This also makes for fun family conferences where family members can gather in one place so they can place a call to another family. This experience is so immersive that the miles seem to melt away and you will feel as if you are actually in the same room talking with your children and grandchildren.
About the Author
Based in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of writing experience. She also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat87.
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