How Technology Keeps Me Connected To My Teenagers
When my kids were little, I always was the one who got up with them in the middle of the night. It started off with the whole nursing thing, but never changed after they got older and didn’t need me biologically anymore. My husband had an uncanny way of sleeping right through crying jags, nightmares, and puking episodes.
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Now that my kids are teenagers, the crying, nightmares and puking occur much less frequently. Still, I am the person they reach out to in the middle of the night.
One reason is that my phone looks like this:
While my husband’s looks like this:
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(Just kidding! But I think this is the very first cellphone we had )
Instead of calling our landline when they need directions, when their plans change, or when they want to request a curfew waiver, they text me. The little “zip” of my text message alert tells me that something is up (and gets my heart racing, so please don’t text me after hours unless it’s important!). My daughter is 20, so this happens more frequently with her, since she stays out late. But sometimes even my son is out “past my bedtime,” especially if he has something special going on on a weeknight.
Just like I never really minded having to get up when my kids were younger, I don’t mind these late night text messages. I appreciate that they are calling me for help, keeping me updated on what they are doing, and asking permission first instead of begging forgiveness later. 😉
I don’t know how many text messages my iPhone will save, but I probably should store them somewhere more permanent so I can treasure them later.
Do your kids always want their Mom in the middle of the night?
Do you?
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It's great that your kids keep in touch with you and that you keep up with the technology to do it via text. I have friends that refuse to communicate via text, which is sometimes very annoying when there's no cell phone signal but a text will go through just fine.
My mom & I text each other a lot, as a matter of fact, I'm going to text her a joke right now because you reminded me that it's been a while!
my daughter still lives with me (she's a teen) but she texts requests to stay later at friends', etc. etc. i love texts from her…. my son doesnt text so often…he lives on his own…
and my mom…she hasnt spoken to me for 7 months so texting…no….nothing to do with her….
My husband used to joke how the kids would suddenly sleep through the night when I wasn't home! What is it with men sleeping through stuff?! My hubby waits up every night for our teen; I go to bed so early it is embarrassing. But I'm the one who hears if my son is up at night for some reason. Sometimes he heads to the kitchen for a snack. But sometimes he isn't feeling well. And then, if he calls for someone, you know it's mom.
We both go to be early, but I'm the one that wakes up every 1/2 hour to figure out if I need to worry yet or not! Thank goodness, really, I would get no rest if my husband was up worrying.
I don't have kids of my own, but I rely on technology to keep me close to my niece and nephews.
I don't have kids but I love how technology keeps me in touch with my family no matter where we are 🙂