Grandparents and Computers DO Mix!

Sometimes - in fact, now more than ever - grandparents do not live in the same city or state, or sometimes even country, as their adult children and grandchildren. This presents some challenges, although you will have had the worst of it when your kids first moved away. But if you are not able to be in the same city as your grandchildren, do not let that stop you from being a part of their life. In this day and age there are more options than ever for staying in touch. In some cases, there are even more ways of being contacted than we would like! But when it comes to being a part of your grandchildren's lives, the more strings you have to your bow the better.

As you are reading this on a computer, you are probably sick of people patronisingly congratulating you on your technologically advanced ways. It is as though computers did not exist a few decades ago. However, the curse of computer-illiteracy spreads throughout the generations, and your kids are just as likely to be unfamiliar with the intricacies of the World Wide Web as you are. Never fear if you are less than comfortable with computers, as most of the Internet's methods of keeping you in contact with your grandchildren are very user-friendly, and you can go through the installation process step-by-step. The Internet has some very handy ways of keeping connected, as you may well know already. E-mail you will probably have covered, although you can ask around if not. If you have an account then you can e-mail your grandkids whenever you want. If not, websites like hotmail.com or googlemail.com make it quite straightforward.

If you are not much of a fan of sitting around waiting on e-mail, there are also excellent direct messenger services which allow you to chat in real time with your grandkids. Investing in a webcam - usually very cheap - will allow you to be seen, and if your grandkids have one themselves then you will be able to see them. There are several add-ons you can buy if you are confident with technology - including headsets which make it possible to have a direct conversation as though over the phone - with the added bonus of being able to see each other. The Internet has several services where you can do this for free - the best being either Skype or MSN Messenger.

If you do not currently have your own computer, now is a good time to invest. You will never have a better reason to get involved in the Internet, and there are excellent deals available on computers and software. Even if your kids live just across the street you can still bond over a computer - if you are taking care of them you can use the Internet together to research subjects for their homework, or if you are not familiar with the Internet they can help you get to grips with it. Children have an intuitive approach to learning, which is often the best way in new media. The Internet has something for everyone, so it is worth learning.