3. You’re far away, so you check out.
If there is one mistake with adult children that you should avoid, it is this one! It happens that you live in a different state from your children and grandchildren, which makes it unlikely that you are going to meet outside of the holidays and birthdays—maybe a joint holiday you planned! Your children will seem to always be busy, and you will feel like they are forcing themselves to talk to you on the phone. If it feels like this, do not make the mistake of thinking they do not care and check out.
You will end up distancing yourself further from them and suffering silently. Not to mention, you will create a huge distance between you and your grandkids, which you may not be able to fix later. Instead, try to keep as engaged and involved as possible, even if it is made up of little moments. Slow and steady, you will strengthen the bond and keep in touch with them all.
Even if you only talk once a week, you will end up creating consistency, and you can then keep in touch. Do not be afraid to text either; maybe they cannot talk on the phone now, but you can share snippets of your days on messaging apps.
