<p>I used to type out each word on my no frills, no keyboard cell phone. Then my 11yo taught me to use the T9 system and it is much quicker. I am not the lightning speed of my kids and other friends but getting much easier. I would often get a good conversation with son if I caught him walking to class or some place else. Not so good if he was in his room as often that meant he was on the computer or “studying”. Good luck to both of you.</p>
<p>My DS often called on the way to class. It kept him company across campus but gave him control of a finite chat time.</p>
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<p>Now I’ve got “Knock Three Times on The Ceiling” running through my head … A cultural reference that none of our kids would understand anyway!</p>
<p>Walking across campus is a popular time for the boys to call mom. If my cell phone rings at 2:15 I know it’s my oldest.</p>
<p>Yup also for new to college parents don’t forget that they are often with other people and are living full time with a roommate. Walking to class is a time when they are generally alone and can talk without someone else in the room.</p>
<p>“twice on the pipe if the answer is no” Yep… they wouldn’t have a clue for the most part.</p>
<p>I imagine son will also call on his way across campus, unless he’s running late. Fortunately, he is a rather timely kid (especially for a boy) and will probably like to kill time. My D15 will call me while waiting so she doesn’t look like she’s just standing there with no purpose. Pretty funny actually.</p>
<p>I love it that other people’s sons call on their way to classes. Ours always used to do that. H actually did it on occasion saying he was doing a (son’s name). Never heard from D that way. Seems to be gender based. With D chatted more on facebook.</p>
<p>My H and S also call in the car. We don’t have the no cell phone law. It’s really just a case of boredom or traffic and since I hardly say anything it’s mostly them having their own running commentary. Son has always been more forthcoming on his life in a car… whether on the cell phone or when he’s sitting beside me.</p>
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<p>Sorrrry…it’s probably stuck there for 24 hours.</p>
<p>Noooo, now I have it in my brain… Very good to ask if he has time to talk, could be working on a project with others, hopefully doesn’t interrupt a conversation during a prof’s office hours to answer you! Emails are a good way to tell him about life in the home town/family- I have referred to my emails as monologs as son never answers any of my questions. Emails are also a good way to send admonishments and advice- they can read them without needing to make a response or show a reaction. A no pressure way to get points across.</p>
<p>I find I need to be repetetive with my important questions- scaling up to more than one cell phone call the day before to find out when to pick him up, for example. He somehow forgets that a mother has a life and isn’t magically going to be there without planning- doesn’t want mom to know anything about his life but expects her to anticipate the proper time without the need to discuss… I guess moms are there for the mundane details so they don’t have to bother thinking about them.</p>
<p>…“Twice on the pipe, if you want to make an ‘O’.”</p>
<p>When D1 went off to college, I sent her a little something in the mail every other day…a cartoon from the paper, a little news about her high school or friends, a piece of advice (that I’m sure she’d ignore, although I did give her some dating advice that made her laugh out loud she said), a photo, some stickers–nothing that would take more than an instant to look at–nothing she ever answered back to. I did it more for me than for her–it was my way to feel connected. </p>
<p>She never said anything much about these little notes. </p>
<p>She’s graduated from college now. Turns out that she saved everything that I sent her that first year of college. She said that she was the envy of her dorm because she always had snail mail in her post office box. For Mother’s Day, she gave me a big box of stationery with the instructions that I’m to do the same for D2 who will be leaving for college in September.</p>
<p>Sigh…I hadn’t planned on doing that again (I’m over the trauma of having a kid go away–piece of cake now), but looks like I better step up.</p>
<p>ellemenope…I just started doing this only my goal is once a week. You are an inspiration!</p>
<p>Elle, you’re putting the rest of us to shame. But how sweet!</p>
<p>I’ve texted Son quite a bit, mostly with reminders of what to get done when.</p>
<p>Thank you! Merci! Muchas gracias! to whoever suggested texting from the computer-this will be a lifesaver to me. </p>
<p>I just tried out txtdrop.com and texted dd1 at work and dd2 upstairs!! </p>
<p>I am so slow at texting, (and often forget to put spaces between words which my daughters find quite entertaining) I try to blame it on my “Knock 3 times” phone since my girls both have keyboards on their new phones (they find that entertaining also) I’m sure I could become proficient if I texted hundreds of hours as they have.</p>
<p>Anyway, this is great, because I’m usually at a keyboard, and have already devoted those hundreds of hours becoming a speedy writer at the computer.</p>
<p>with t-mobile you can send a text by emailing Phone#@tmomail.net
way easier than logging onto my-tmobile website</p>
<p>Almost every cell phone has an email extension. It’s the phone number @ that extension:
Verizon Wireless - (Cell#) @ vtext.com
AT&T - (Cell#) @ mobile.att.net
Cingular - (Cell#) @ mycingular.com
Nextel - (Cell#) @ messaging.nextel.com
T-Mobile - (Cell#) @ tmomail.net
Sprint - (Cell#) @ messaging.sprintpcs.com
Tracfone - (Cell#) @ cingularme.com</p>
<p>I text my daughter from my regular email all the time :)</p>
<p>My S and D are huge texters, so I got an LG touchscreen phone with slide-out keyboard. So easy. so addicting :)</p>
<p>I got the ENVtouch last week after having a preJurassic phone for many years. I am now addicted!!! :)</p>
<p>I send texts to cell phones in the states via gmail. It’s always on when I am on the computer, so it’s very convenient.</p>
<p>From windows im I can im my daughter if she is at her computer (or logged into im from her cell phone) or I can send a text to her cell phone. It is like magic.</p>