Skype ... next best thing to being there!

If you haven’t discovered Skype, you heard it here first and you’re in for a real treat. Gone are the days of talking to your grandchildren by phone and having them not know who you are. Last night I sang a song to my 2-month-old granddaughter and as her eyes were glued to the screen of my son’s computer, I actually think she recognized my voice.

Skype is the next best thing to being there, for distant grandparents who want to continue to be a presence in their grandchildren’s lives. It’s a simple download: www.skype.com and set up and you can then communicate computer-to-computer, all over the world, for free. If both computers have cameras, then you can both see each other in real time. If there is no built in camera, an inexpensive web cam can be purchased and attached to the computer.

Once downloaded, you locate the person you wish to speak to and add them to your list. When the person you want to call is online, the Skype list on your computer will indicate this and the person calling simply clicks on the name of the person they wish to speak to. Your computer then dials their computer. It’s as simple as that.

Skype also allows you to call a landline for a small cost.

This GlammaGrandma fully intends to continue singing to my granddaughter as well as read books to her. The older grandchildren enjoying showing me items they have made at school or the latest dance steps.

For those with grand-pets, Skype can keep them from missing you when you’re on a trip. Two years ago when I was in Japan for several weeks, I called home and “talked” with my dogs. My husband pointed the camera so that I could see the dogs and they could see me on the screen. (GlammaGrandma’s love our grand-pets almost as much as our grandchildren!)

Running Hugs,
GlammaGrandma