When there’s a big distance between grandparents and grandchildren, staying in touch and making a real connection doesn’t come easily. New technologies are allowing seniors to remain an important part of their young grandchildren’s lives, because they can focus more on the day to day rather than the big picture stuff. Instead of just telling their grandparent that they drew a picture in school that day, they can play show and tell using a webcam, bridging the gap in the distance on an emotional level.

Using a webcam is fairly simple, especially for today’s seniors who are already online, making use of new technology on a regular basis. Here are some tips for setting up a webcam and connecting with loved ones:

1. Get the webcam – many laptops that are sold today come with webcams, even a few computer monitors also have webcams built in. If your computer doesn’t have a webcam, you can buy one for as little as $20

2. Set it up – most webcams will come with software and drivers you can install to get it setup. Follow the instructions and put the webcam itself so it comfortably focuses on your face

3. Find a way to chat – to connect with grandchildren, you will need to both use the same type of program that supports webcam chat. Instant messengers like MSN and AOL have webcam chat, or other programs like Skype offer it as well. Choose one that will also be safe for your grandchild to use

Sources:

1. CowboyFrank

2. All Business

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