Once the semester begins, it can start to feel like college life and your home life are two completely separate worlds. When free time shrinks and responsibilities pile up, it becomes difficult to stay up to speed with your family. But there are easy ways to keep your family in the loop – if you’re willing to put a little but of work in!
SCHEDULES
Maybe you’re struggling to keep up with your family because you feel like you don’t have the time. The truth is, there’s no such thing as free time, you’re always making time for something. What you spend your time on is up to you! If you want to maintain a relationship with people who are not within reach, you’re going to have to carve out the time that you need to make that happen! Start by sending your class schedule out to your family, so everybody is aware of when you’re definitely unavailable. Next, consider making a schedule for yourself. Write down your to-do list for the week, and figure out when the gaps are. Lastly, don’t be afraid of small talk and brief chats. Every minute counts! Your family would rather hear from you for 10 minutes on the way to the cafe than not at all. In the same token, be mindful of the other person’s schedule. Figure out a time that both of you can agree on and stick with it!
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REMINDERS
Pay attention to your family member’s upcoming events that matter to him or her. Write them down (on paper or in your phone). The iPhone reminder app is a great tool that you can use to remind yourself to check up on somebody, ask how his or her event/exam/game went, or anything else that is of value. It could be as simple as writing down “call mom at 7:45 on Thursday.” Or, if you know your little brother has a game coming up, set a reminder that will pop up before the game starts reminding you to send them a good luck text. You want your family to know that you care about what they care about even if you cannot physically be there to support them!
LETTERS
I know what you’re thinking but letters are NOT out of style! A hand-written note of any kind is special and often viewed as more thoughtful than a text or an email. Write your family members letters. Tell them how much you love them, give them an update about what’s going on in your life, and thank them for going on this journey with you! If this is a strenuous task for you, and you struggle when thinking of what to write about, keep a monthly list on your phone of highlights that you want to share with a family member! At the end of that month, it will be easy to put all of those things into one letter.
GROUP CHATS
Instead of sending the same type of message to 8 different family members, a group chat could save you a lot of time! If you are religious, this is also a great way to stay spiritually connected to your family. You could send a scripture, do a group devotional, or send positive quotes to each other throughout the week. When big achievements occur and you want everyone one to know, just send it in the family chat! Avoid feeling pressured to communicate with multiple people individually – save yourself some time, and keep everyone updated.
DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF
Don’t overthink it… we are ALWAYS on our phones! Technology makes it simple to reach out to your family! A simple “Hey! I was thinking about you today,” text is sometimes all it takes. Plans change and things come up. You could have planned out the perfect moment to talk to your best friend at home, but your teacher decided to drop an assignment on blackboard that’s due at 11:59. Don’t worry about it! When things like this happen (and they frequently do) just be sure to communicate that you need to reschedule with that other person. Most importantly, refrain from comparing your interaction with your family to someone else’s; everyone’s family dynamic is different. Make your experience unique and true to you! You know your family better than anybody else does, therefore it’s your job to make it work for you.