My in-laws (and the only surviving grandparents to my children) live states away but are very interested in being involved and staying connected to our kids so much so that during every visit with the grandparents, my kids will spend time giving an iPhone or iPad tutorial to them. My kids will set up and run through how each application work and everytime my parents’ visit, there is usually one new application shared and downloaded.

I asked my kids (Millennials of ages 12 and 18) which technologies they like to use or would use more often with their grandparents. Here are their top three:

1. FaceTime/Skype-My kids have used both and prefer FaceTime from their iPhones but both are more or less the same. Aside from texting and Snapchat, FaceTime is the leading way my daughter stays connected with her friends.

Note: Holding the phone down below your chin is very unbecoming on FaceTime, so be forewarned, you may find doing these calls from your iPhone also offers a limited workout for your arms as you try to keep the phone up near your face. (Or maybe a little higher for a more flattering view to share with kids and grandkids.)

If you don’t have FaceTime, you can use Skype. We have used it from our home computers to call my in-laws for a quick video chat.

2. Snapchat-My son sums up Snapchat as a “better way to send snapshots of what you are doing.” Not only does he find it easier than texting a photo, but you can also add captions, emojis, and even filters to enhance the image.

I’ve witnessed him take hundreds of selfies and share them with friends. I opened up an account in hopes of making sure I had the opportunity to have him share a few of the good photos with me, especially now that he’s heading off to college. My son is much more apt to respond to Snapchat than return a text.

3. Words With Friends-When we visit the grandparents at their cabin, we are usually huddled around a game of Bananagrams. When we aren’t together, it’s one way my kids can still have fun with my mom, who is the gamer in the family.

I hope you will find these suggestions give you some new ways to connect the generations within your own family and Happy Grandparents Day!!

By Kay Bransford

Twitter: @Kay_Bransford 
Facebook: facebook.com/memorybanc

NOTE: In last month’s article, “Why You Need to Know Your Kids’ Passwords,” we shared that creating a written list might be the only way you would ever be able to access a minor’s online account. What you agree to (usually without reading it) says that no one else has any right to access that account. For this reason, we recommend having your children create a written backup that goes into a sealed envelope we hope you never have a need to open. For free templates to document usernames, passcodes, security questions, and PINs, download a free chapter from the best-selling book MemoryBanc: Your Workbook for Organizing Life at http://www.memorybanc.com/tame.

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