Five Ways Tech Can Bring Families Together

By Stacey Ross

Family members around the world are finding ways to keep in touch with each other in real time, and the increasing accessibility of this technology helps strengthen and enhance families in a variety of different ways.

This rings true for me in some very personal terms. It is very important to take some time and appreciate some of the vehicles for keeping or making ties stronger with family members. I decided to share the five ways that have been most significant in my household!

1. Keeping ties with long-distance relatives

Skype’s free video calling has played a large part in how my kids have kept in touch with their grandparents who live miles away. We have taken our phones and devices to ballgames and stores, and the kids have even been able to share their instrument playing, dancing, games and other passions. The most novel experience for me was the time I woke up to the sound of my father’s voice playing with the kids downstairs. Grandpa chatting with his grandson as they played virtual checkers on a Sunday morning – surreal! I call him my virtual sitter.

Google+ Hangouts have been just what the doctor ordered for my girl. She and her friends meet online to update one another on their musical instrument skills, then take their tablets into their rooms to share which outfits would work best for their dance classes. Sometimes they bring in other friends to join the party, which is just adorable. BTW: This method beats cleaning up after a slumber party!

2. Building closer ties

The past couple of years have brought some opportunities to me that otherwise would have been next to impossible. One family member found an estranged relative on Tree.com and months after had a family party to meet her. (An event straight out of a commercial!) Another family member found our first cousin, who had been adopted as a baby! Facebook provided a marvelous platform for slowly building what I hope will be a long-lasting friendship. A piece of the puzzle I had waited for years to find!

3. Embracing the entrepreneurial lifestyle

My husband and I are both self-employed and between the four of us we juggle our two family businesses, five athletic teams, and two dance classes. Our plates are full, but man does modern technology provide a way for us to stay engaged and connected. I have a hard time trying to grasp how we did it in the past without smartphones and texting!

4. Chronicling milestones and hobbies

I love how the kids have learned so much from YouTube. My girl has literally choreographed dances and my son has built elaborate origami art merely by watching tutorials online.

Their next steps were creating tutorials of their own, which I share in snapshots on Instagram for kicks. We have come to the realization that limiting the segments to 1-2 minutes per tutorial will keep viewers engaged, but building those “skilz” will come in time. (Soon, I hope!)

5. Home/School connection!

I participate in a school/parenting application called School Loop, which has been nothing short of a godsend! Parents are regularly emailed with their kids’ workload, and updated grades and assignments are accessible too, along with school notes/files that help parents see what their kids are up to in class. I love that the students are also encouraged to use this as a communication system and can email any of their teachers directly from the application. It also serves as a wonderful tool for parents to keep in touch with the teachers.

It seems like these five items just scratch the surface! In what ways has technology helped your family thrive? Do share and tweet me at @sdbargainmama!

Stacey Ross is an online consultant, social media enthusiast, freelancer and owner of SanDiegoBargainMama.com. A former teacher and middle school counselor, she is now a mom of two who researches and freelances about lifestyle topics involving family and well-being.

Comments:

  2. Hey there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers?
    My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several
    weeks of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have any methods to
    protect against hackers?

  3. I am in fact pleased to glance at this website posts which contains tons
    of valuable data, thanks for providing these kinds of statistics.

  4. Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?

    you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is
    great, as well as the content!

  5. Fantastic blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?
    I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little
    lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free
    platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There
    are so many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
    Any ideas? Thank you!

  6. Hello! Quick question that’s completely off topic.

    Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
    My site looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4. I’m
    trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to correct
    this issue. If you have any recommendations, please share.
    Many thanks!

  8. whoah this weblog is excellent i love reading your articles.
    Stay up the good work! You recognize, lots of persons are searching around for this info, you can aid them greatly.

  10. Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just
    sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly
    enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything.
    Do you have any tips and hints for beginner blog
    writers? I’d certainly appreciate it.

  15. Greetings from Los angeles! I’m bored to death at work so I
    decided to browse your blog on my iphone during lunch break.
    I really like the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
    I’m shocked at how fast your blog loaded on my cell phone ..
    I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, wonderful blog!

  17. Hi! Thiss iis myy 1ѕt commment hdre sso I jhst wantesd tto givee ɑ quiick
    shbout oout aand tekl youu I reslly enjoy reading yourr posts.
    Cann youu ѕuggest anyy οther blogs/websites/forums thawt deal witrh tthe ssame topics?
    Thhank үou!

  23. Excellent site you have here but I was curious if you knew of any
    community forums that cover the same topics discussed here?
    I’d really love to be a part of group where I can get advice from other
    experienced people that share the same interest.

    If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Many thanks!

  24. Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my
    4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to
    her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched
    her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic
    but I had to tell someone!

  26. Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles?
    I mean, what you say is important and everything.
    Nevertheless think about if you added some great pictures
    or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”!
    Your content is excellent but with images and videos, this website could
    undeniably be one of the greatest in its niche.
    Terrific blog!

  27. Attractive portion of content. I simply stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital
    to assert that I acquire actually enjoyed account your weblog posts.
    Any way I’ll be subscribing for your augment or even I
    achievement you get admission to consistently quickly.

  28. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
    I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit,
    but other than that, this is fantastic blog. A great read.
    I’ll certainly be back.

  31. Definitely imagine that which you said. Your favorite justification appeared to be
    on the web the simplest factor to take into account of.
    I say to you, I definitely get irked whilst other people think about issues that they plainly don’t
    realize about. You managed to hit the nail upon the highest as smartly as outlined out
    the entire thing without having side-effects ,
    other folks can take a signal. Will likely be back to
    get more. Thanks

  32. Hi there to every , because I am really keen of reading this web site’s post to be updated daily.
    It carries fastidious stuff.

  34. wonderful points altogether, you simply gained a brand new reader.
    What may you suggest in regards to your submit that you just made a few
    days in the past? Any certain?

  35. Hiya very cool blog!! Guy .. Excellent .. Wonderful ..

    I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally?
    I’m satisfied to seek out a lot of useful info right here in the put up, we need
    develop more strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing.
    . . . . .

  39. Good day! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog.

    Is it difficult to set up your own blog? I’m
    not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast.
    I’m thinking about making my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any tips or suggestions?
    With thanks

  42. If you are going for most excellent contents like me,
    only pay a visit this site daily because it gives quality contents, thanks

  43. Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a
    blogger, and I was wondering your situation; we have created some nice practices and
    we are looking to trade methods with other folks, please shoot me an e-mail if interested.

  44. Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve visited your blog before but after looking at many of the articles I realized
    it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m certainly pleased I discovered
    it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back
    frequently!

  47. Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources
    back to your site? My website is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from a lot of the
    information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you.
    Cheers!

  50. I don’t know whether it’s just me or if perhaps everyone else encountering issues with your site.
    It seems like some of the text within your content
    are running off the screen. Can someone else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them too?
    This might be a problem with my browser because
    I’ve had this happen previously. Appreciate it

  55. hello!,I really like your writing so much! percentage we communicate more about your article on AOL?
    I require an expert on this space to solve my problem.
    Maybe that’s you! Looking ahead to see you.

  56. Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to
    assert that I get in fact enjoyed account your blog posts.
    Any way I will be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently rapidly.

  57. Do you have a spam issue on this website; I also am a blogger, and I
    was curious about your situation; many of us have created some nice
    practices and we are looking to trade solutions with others, be sure to shoot me an email if interested.

  58. I’ve been surfing online greater than 3 hours
    lately, yet I never found any fascinating article like yours.

    It is lovely worth sufficient for me. In my opinion,
    if all site owners and bloggers made excellent content
    as you probably did, the web can be a lot more useful than ever before.

  59. I know this web site offers quality based articles or reviews and other data,
    is there any other site which presents such information in quality?

  60. Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice at the same time as you amend your web site,
    how can i subscribe for a blog site? The account aided me a applicable deal.
    I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered
    shiny transparent concept

  62. If you are going for most excellent contents like myself, simply go to
    see this web page every day because it presents feature contents, thanks

  63. I have read so many posts regarding the blogger lovers except this article
    is really a good paragraph, keep it up.

  67. Hello! I realize this is somewhat off-topic but I needed to
    ask. Does running a well-established blog like yours require a massive amount work?
    I’m brand new to operating a blog however I do write
    in my diary everyday. I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience and views online.
    Please let me know if you have any suggestions or tips for new aspiring bloggers.
    Appreciate it!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended Articles

Digital Solutions for Helping Overweight Kids

The Big Debate: When Will My Daughter Get Her Own Phone?

Distracted Parenting: Time to Put the Devices Down

Facial Recognition Software: Revolutionizing Dating at a Bar Near You

5 Topics You Might Think Twice About Before Posting Online