A Simple Guide to Video Calling Your Grandkids
Photo source: openverse, Flickr
There’s a particular kind of quiet that settles into a house once the grandchildren move away. Maybe it’s across the state. Maybe it’s across the country. Either way, you find yourself missing the small things most: the gap-toothed grin, the way they wave with their whole arm, and the sound of them laughing at something just off-screen.
The good news is you don’t have to wait for the next visit to see that face. Video calling has come a long way, and these days it’s genuinely easy to set up.
You Don’t Need to Be a “Computer Person”
The most common ways to video call grandchildren are FaceTime (if you and your family have iPhones or iPads), Zoom, or WhatsApp. If your family already uses one of these, that’s the one to learn. There’s no need to overcomplicate things by picking something new. Just ask your son, daughter, or grandchild which app they use, and let them set it up on your device the next time they’re over.
Making the Call Feel Like a Visit, Not an Interview
Have something to do together. Read a picture book out loud and hold it up to the camera. Do a puzzle on your end while they do one on theirs. Cook the same simple recipe at the same time. Kids especially light up when there’s an activity, not just a conversation.
Ask specific questions. “How was your week?” gets a shrug. “What was the silliest thing that happened at recess?” gets a story.
Show them your world. Walk the phone over to show them your garden, your dog, or a bird outside the window. Grandkids love feeling like they’re getting a little tour.
Keep a regular time. A standing Sunday afternoon call, even just fifteen minutes, becomes something they look forward to and something you can look forward to as well.
The Real Point of All This
At the end of the day, a video calling grandchildren isn’t about mastering an app. It’s about closing the distance, even just a little, between you and the people you love. It’s a wave goodnight from three states away. It’s watching them lose their first tooth in real time. It’s still being there, even when you can’t be there.
