Connecting with Your College Bound Kid

By RedFlagDeals.com Staff

Connecting with kids is a challenging part of parenting, and it's particularly difficult when kids leave home for college. There are some good ways to stay connected though, and a lot of them won't cost you a dime!

Don't hound them with phone calls. When you do call, you can save on the long distance bills by making voice calls over the Internet with services like Google Chat and Skype. You can even have face-to-face video chats with your kids using these programs – and they're free!

Take advantage of social media. Facebook and Twitter don't need much of an introduction, and they are a great way to leave messages with and to get updates from your kids. Just use them in moderation. If you see a post like "4 exams down 2 to go!", don't disturb their studying and save the call for when the status changes to "Done!".

Get creative! The internet is a big place and you can be a proactive without commenting on every status update. Saving money is important for students, so try something different like sharing deals and coupons (and even freebies) with them.

It's a two way street. You don't have to comment on every photo your kid uploads. Try keeping your own album online instead – you can take pictures of the pet they'll miss, creative things you've done to their room (like converting it to storage), and pictures of events and travels that they couldn't come home for.