Grandparents, Family + Lockdown

[barry1010]

I've been talking to my elderly neighbour this morning. He told me that he had a far better relationship with his children and grandchildren during lockdown because when they are on the phone or Facetime they have to talk.
When they visit they spend most of the time fiddling with their phones or tablets, especially the grandchildren.

I bet that is true for a lot of families, a bit sad though

[pixie374]

Maybe he could still phone or facetime them now? Get the best of both. Or... hopefully, if he explained to them, they would be a bit more aware that he needs some company.

[barry1010]

I don't think he's lonely, or I hope he isn't, I think he just gets fed up of looking at the top of the grandkids heads when they visit.
I know he does a daily game show on Facetime with the family - they all record it and watch it at the same time.
He used to really enjoy hiking and walks with the family but he's not so mobile now. When his own children were small they'd be off rough camping most weekends. He's feeling his age.

[pixie374]

I'm sure. I don't mean generally lonely, necessarily. Just that when they are there, he needs some interaction. He's being excluded, as he isn't doing the same.... I think they should be reminded. Does he have a smartphone himself?

[jourdain2]

I rarely see or hear from my grandchildren. One never looks at emails (it's all cloud or something) and the younger ones live chaotically and keep losing the handset to the house phone, so I can ring forever and they don't hear - then the batteries run down. Last time, after 2 months, it was found in grandson's bedroom, buried somewhere. Their Mum uses her mobile, but it is horribly expensive to ring a mobile from a landline and we have no mobile reception in our house. I seem not to figure in their lives during term time - and they're all busy during holidays so we see them rarely.
It all began in lockdown - my computer won't do sound on zoom for some reason. :(

[New Judge]

"Zoom" is an abomination and, unfortunately, lockdown saw it become "mainstream". One of my nephews had the idea of a weekly "family get together" over Zoom. Did nothing for me whatsoever. Had two or three goes at it and turned it in. Impossible to have a proper conversation.

Unfortunately many people are still using this technology for their work instead of going into an office, and it doesn't work. The country needs to get back to working and interacting normally and we must all push back against this nonsense.

[barry1010]

I'm sad for you, Jourdain.