<p>It may be old fashioned but I still believe in occasionally "handwriting" and snail mailing letters to my kids in college. I can tell them whatever I want and feel and know they must take the time to actually read them...no delete button to hit! I was glad to find out my S kept all the letters I sent him freshman year.</p>
<p>I send them a card every couple of weeks, but I fill the whole thing up with writing so that kind of counts as a “letter” in my book. I always thought it was depressing to go check your mailbox and have it be empty. I also send them a little care package about once a month usually with just a couple things in it specific to the kid - for one, I collect the crossword puzzles out of our local paper, along with any articles pertaining to his interests. The other kid recently got scented garbage bags and a can of febreze after his dad said the room smelled like old cheeseburgers after a recent visit. I heard there was much laughter when he opened that one!</p>
<p>Waiting Dad, I still remember a card my Dad sent me over 30 years ago at college. He was a man of few words, so it was all the more special. Keep those cards and letters going. I hope I remember to do the same in a few years. I also think it is so nice to get things like puzzles, articles etc. I used to get cut outs of Peanuts cartoons sent to me.</p>
<p>I send cards on occasion - don’t “fill” them with writing, but generally a short note. I try to pick a card somewhat on the humorous side and I don’t care who you are or how old you get, opening up an envelope and finding cash inside is always a plus. Beyond stuff he’s asked to send, I’ve also sent him a few care packages with cookies and other stuff.</p>
<p>I doubt he’s saving them, but I’ve saved every camp note my kids have ever sent and that includes the year they could do email (I printed out and saved).</p>
<p>Ah yes, nothing says I love you like cold hard cash. (I did not make this up - I heard it and it gives me a chuckle.)</p>
<p>Yes, I do, along with articles about sports teams she likes. . . and folding money.</p>
<p>The more serious stuff goes e-mail with cc to wife and a text to DD that says “read your e-mail and get back to me.”</p>
<p>Although I must say that the cash thing is on hiatus since I didn’t get any “thanks dad” or other acknowledgement from the last two notes . . . wonder how long it will take her to notice :-)</p>
<p>Kei</p>
<p>Nope, but maybe I will now. My mom does write my kids in college.</p>
<p>How gratifying to find out your s had saved all your letters! </p>
<p>We’re not there yet (d is a high school senior) but I can definitely see doing this as my dd <em>loves</em> snail mail. She loves getting letters at camp - at least college will last longer than a week so I’ll have longer to make sure she actually gets it :)</p>
<p>D just called this week and said how excited she was when she checked her mailbox and found something in there, only to crash when it was for her box-mate and not her. Hint hint. I’m planning to start sending her a note or card each week. I simply had no idea that snail was so highly valued.</p>
<p>I send letters. I send copies of old pictures I run across and copies of articles from tech or comic magazines which my H passes along for me to send to her. She likes that kind of stuff. I send ipod gift cards every once in a while, too.</p>
<p>H has a New Yorker Cartoon a day calendar. He saves the ones he finds particularly funny and sends them off. No one else finds them as funny as he does half the time, but that’s mostly what’s entertaining about it.</p>
<p>I meant to – I really did! But we chat, text, and e-mail a lot so it doesn’t seem necessary. I sent her some packages freshman year, not so much this year. I know my mom sends her cards.</p>
<p>I send snail mail 2-3 times a week - stuff cut from the newspaper mainly: a comic or two, perhaps an article or editorial - usually the envelope has several items in it. No letter included, as I hate to write, but occasionally I’ll attach a post-it note to something. (I just sent a comic about laundry and attached: “BTW, have you washed your sheets lately?” :)) The kids like the snail mail for some reason - perhaps because they feel no pressure to respond, although I do get the occasional comment about something I sent.</p>
<p>One of my daughters mentioned saving it all, also. Who knew, right?</p>
<p>I started writing to my S when he was 7 and wanted to go to a multi-night summer camp. He went every summer thereafter and I continued to write, send newspaper clippings on stuff of interest and brownies. When he was packing up and cleaning out his room after HS, I saw a box where he had all my letters.</p>
<p>I still write to him in college (and send brownies).</p>
<p>He is very visual and sends me emails with images and links to videos. I asked him a few years ago for a calander made up with each month having a photo of him that he liked as my Christmas present. The first calander had the photo taken of us sitting on a split log bench at a river take out while white water rafting in Costa Rica. Every year since then he has made and given me another calander with his photos and he always seems to include at least on of us. I save them.</p>
<p>Wow. I think I just failed Mom 101. I used to write letters all the time when they attended summer camp or other summer programs, but I haven’t written them letters per se in college. I have sent some greeting cards on occasion.</p>
<p>I do, however, send packages fairly often. I’ve arranged to have cookies/brownies delivered from a local place, and fairly often send either a box of stuff from here, or order something online to have sent to them. I just discovered this website called Alice dot com that has all sorts of standard staples (toiletries, school supplies etc) and tons of food and snack items, with no s&h charge, and most of the items are reasonably priced. I’ve sent younger s a box of snacks and assorted toiletries (he goes through body wash and toothpaste like wildfire) and its definitely cheaper to send them than buy it at the college store. The do make Wal Mart runs, but I thought this was cute. Last year I bought a TON of candy (mostly M&Ms and the higher end chocolates like the Dove or Symphony chocolates)the day after Halloween and sent my s 15 lbs (I kid you not) of chocolate. He told me not to send him any more food because everyone on the floor knew he had a stockpile and some who partied too hard would decided to pay him a visit in the middle of the night looking for a snack! </p>
<p>When older s turned 21 he was on a summer internship. I arranged to have a cake delivered, ordered these really cute big cookies in the shape of beer steins that said happy 21st birthday, and arranged to have pink flamingoes put on the lawn of the house he was living in that summer. Maybe I should go back to writing letters…</p>
<p>I was at the U of Illinois many years ago. My father typed (had horrible handwriting!) letters to both me and my brother every Monday. We would receive them every Wednesday. He wrote about what was going on at work, extended family, little bits of wisdom. I have every single one of them that he sent. My oldest goes away in the fall and I plan to carry on the tradition. My father has since died and I treasure those notes more than anything.</p>
<p>I do agree with a previous poster. To see an empty mailbox is depressing. I try to send off notes to my nieces and nephews at college and if I can swing it, put a few dollars in for a starbucks.</p>
<p>I did get each son a subscription to a magazine, so their mailboxes arent empty. Does that count?</p>
<p>*** btw, thats a great story, jmmom</p>
<p>yup-- Mom 101, day 2, sez magazine subscriptions are OK as long as there is a small amount of guilt for not really writing. </p>
<p>My S gets The Economist from me. We actual have had several good conversations over articles in it. So, good investment.</p>
<p>Whew. Saved by day 2 of class.
From us, older s gets Consumer Reports, younger s gets Newsweek. A friend sent older s The Economist, and for a while… somehow… younger s was getting … Maxim. Needless to say, I didnt send that</p>
<p>I write a couple of times a week at the beginning of freshman year, and the frequency drops off after that. My son (who just graduated) has little interest in mail, so I’m more likely to call or email him, but both Ds like to look in the mailbox, so that’s become a little ritual. Care packages always seem to be a big hit, and lately I’m sending “Where the Wild Things Are” articles to D, who’s a big fan.</p>