# Talking to your parents on phone



## Amethyst1 (Jul 21, 2013)

I am curious, how often and how long do you talk to your mother or father on the phone?
Does he or she call you or do you call them? Assuming this is personal, not business.
I don'thave a cell phone and don't want one because I don't like getting many calls.
But I know who is calling and sometimes I don't answer or call back right away.

Please, let's try to avoid the sentimentalism of Mom and Dad and their waning years, etc.
My sense is that men speak less to their folks than  women and do not gab for the sake
as much. To me, every day or so is too much.


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## Jillaroo (Jul 21, 2013)

_I speak to my eldest daughter nearly every day, and we talk about all sorts of things, sometimes we can be on the phone for 1/2 or so, and with both my daughters we never hang up without saying I Love You, my youngest will quite often ring me on the way home from work as it usually takes her about 2 hours to get home with the traffic moving at a snails pace. No set pattern on who rings who, if we feel the need to chat to each other we do._


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## Happyflowerlady (Jul 21, 2013)

Since I have the iPad, we are more  apt to just chat online nowdays, but we do call each other, no special times, just when someone has something to talk about, or sometimes, just to say hello and visit.
I love talking to all three of my kids, but probably talk the most with my daughter. My oldest son is just like me, he never calls just to say hello, only when there is a reason to call. My youngest son calls when he as something to talk about, or sometimes just to visit. 
Whatever the reason for the call, or the text, or the IM, it is always wonderful to hear from any of them, and we always end up with telling each other we love them, too.


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 21, 2013)

I'm not one to talk on the phone much, and my parents and in-laws have been gone for awhile now...but I think calling several times a week to make sure they're okay, and see if they need any assistance with anything or errands to be run.

I'd definitely keep communications open, and encourage them to call me if they needed to talk about anything.  Since they're elderly, I was always willing to take them shopping and drive, carry the bags in for them, etc.  If they needed painting or repair work, we'd go over there and get it done for them.

They've taken care of us, and should receive the same consideration in their golden years. I'm a woman, but was never much for chatting about nothing with anyone on the phone.  But, being your parents, they already know if you're not the chatty type, and probably won't insist on that.


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## Poppy (Jul 22, 2013)

My wife does all the talking on the phone. You should see the size of her right ear.


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## rkunsaw (Jul 22, 2013)

My parents died years ago. I seldom talk to my daughter or any of my kinfolks. We I do call them I only talk for a few minutes.

My wife doesn't talk to her kids too often either, but the calls usually last a couple of hours.


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## JustBonee (Jul 22, 2013)

I'm the Senior parent now.  Lines of communication between myself and my daughters/son are a great joy these days. 
They all stay in touch often,  and it makes my day. 
They usually make the calls, but I will if something comes up.


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## Jackie22 (Jul 23, 2013)

I call my 93 year old mom everyday, she is still in relatively good health, still drives although that is beginning to get scarey.
She is a very independent lady that gets outside everyday day to 'tidy' up the yard, as she calls it.


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## That Guy (Jul 23, 2013)

My parents have both been gone a very, very long, long time . . . So, my son talking to his parent . . . not often but often enough.  Although, I welcome and look forward to our conversations, I'm just not one for the telephone and much prefer actual in-person contact even when that's impossible due to vast distances.  Have always wanted the ones I love living just around the corner and down the street.  Unfortunately, things just haven't worked out that way . . .


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## TICA (Jul 23, 2013)

My Mom calls every morning to let me know she's up at em, we usually check in around noon and then she calls me every evening to let me know she's getting into the tub and calls again to let me know she is out.  On average about 3 or 4 times a day.  We don't talk long unless there is any news but it is a way that I know everything is OK with her and she hasn't fallen down or is stuck in the tub.  I must admit though, sometimes in the evening it takes forever to get her to hand up.  We say goodnight and I'm ready to hang up, then I hear talking some more "did I tell you ......"  :blah:


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## GDAD (Jul 26, 2013)

I have 5 friends who I served my engineering apprenticeship with. We have known each other since we were 16. I am 73 now & I speak to them once every 6 to 8 weeks, & at least twice a year
we all,with our wives have a day out wining & dining. Sadly one passed last year & his wife moved to Perth, 3000 miles away on the westcoast of Australia, Her children live there.
So for 57 years there has been a lot of phone calls,wine drunk(and beer), & heaps of meals consumed.


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## muckferret (Jul 26, 2013)

You crafty old Fox


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## Katybug (Sep 3, 2013)

My parents and I always spoke once or twice a week long distance and visited often.  I would give anything if that were still possible.  
My daughter & I talk several times a day on the phone, rarely ever for long conversations, just for one thing or another. I see her at least once a week.  She became my best friend when she married and I no longer had to wear the "mom" hat.  We have both battled cancer and thank God we were there for each other.  She is married w/2 wonderful kids, and I respect her married life so our times together are generally during the day.


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## Diwundrin (Sep 3, 2013)

I lived with mine so the only calls were for grocery needs or unexpected delays.  By the time Mum went into aged care a phone call was a waste of time as she was too deaf for intelligible conversation anyway.  No kids either so a phone isn't as essential an item to me as to some.   

Living alone means I don't talk much so the voice gives out after about 15mins of chatty calls with friends.  Bit embarrassing.


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## MercyL (Sep 13, 2013)

Amethyst1 said:


> I am curious, how often and how long do you talk to your mother or father on the phone?
> Does he or she call you or do you call them? Assuming this is personal, not business.
> I don'thave a cell phone and don't want one because I don't like getting many calls.
> But I know who is calling and sometimes I don't answer or call back right away.
> ...




I finally had to limit conversations with my mother. I call her back one or two days after she leaves a message. Most of her calls consist of her wanting to discuss things that I find way too stressful. When the first Gulf War started, she could not wait to call me to talk about my sons being drafted if the draft was reinstated.

It's like being poked with a stick.

So, now, I let her leave a message on the answering machine, then I call her back a day or two later. If she needs something important, she leaves a complete message and I'll call her back within a couple of hours. Usually, she has called out of boredom and after about 30 hours, forgets why she called. She has forgotten what stick she wanted to poke me with. LOL.

My father died about 5 years ago, and I could not bear talking to him at all.


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## nan (Sep 13, 2013)

I like to talk to my children on the phone,and try to talk to all of them at least once a week  if we dont see them.


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## Amethyst1 (Sep 14, 2013)

I can relate to this, Mercy. My mother calls out of boredom or loneliness and then forgets why she called.
And she usually has much advice about stuff whether she knows or not.


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