How often do you see your family?

Newly_retired

My parents are no longer alive, but used to live 70 miles away. As they got older and needed a bit more support I increased my visits to once every three weeks as I was working full time. A bit more as they got more frail.

When we were all younger, it was about 6 or 7 times a year as they were busy too.
Now my daughter lives about four miles from me. I usually see her once a week but we text frequently. It is the closest I have ever been to any family.

Purplepineapple

I see my folks a couple of times a week mainly because they help out with babysitting etc. I'm 40 they are mid 60's and retired so a bit different to you. Looking back at my grandparents, my parents visited them probably 2 times a week. My husband sees his mum maybe every 6 months as she is abroad.

LameWolf

Both my husband's parents are deceased.
I am estranged from my family and have had no contact with them whatsoever since 2002.
When I divorced the Ex, the Court allowed me to redact my address from the official paperwork, as they agreed I would be in danger from both the Ex and my father.

squirrelchops

We see my partners Mum once or twice a week as she lives close by. I see my Mum about once every 3 months. Our relationship can be quite challenging so this frequency suits me.

My half brothers I see perhaps a couple of times a year. They're a lot older so little in common. My brother in law we see perhaps every 4 years or so as he lives the other side of the world.

Gandhi

Wife and i live in Asia, so a couple of times a year, same for the in-laws. I have a strained relationship with my parents so it’s fine by me, but more difficult for my wife with hers, although WhatsApp/FaceTime make things much easier these day’s.

Fortunately I work for an airline so I get heavily discounted flights, and therefore encourage her to go back whenever she feels she needs to. She’ll probably see her folks 4 times a year. The upshot is that it’s for a week or more of quality time.

badger09

Similar, fairly recent thread here

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6035345/how-often-do-you-chat-to-your-grown-up-children&highlight=how+often+see+children

My parents are no longer alive. Husband's mum died last Christmas, so no parents.

My son lives in Hong Kong and we see him at least once a year. As its so far away I like to go for 2 - 3 weeks, but we don't interrupt his day to day life very much. We usually communicate several times a week via whatsapp and Face Time most weeks.

Husband's son, with wife & 2 sons, live only 200 miles away but we spend less time with them:cool:

strawb_shortcake

I see my parents usually twice a week, and speak 4 or 5 times a week.
Brother I see at mums most times I visit but we have very little to say to each other as we have nothing in common but perfectly amicable.
Sister I may see 3 times a year, maybe a little more, she tends to keep her distance, no idea why but I suspect its linked to her less than desirable partner.

We do have a family gathering this month for my Dads side of the family most of which I have never met in my 37 years.

CapricornLass

It varies, depending on who it is and the time of year.


My parents are 18 miles away but being in their late 80s are now at the stage when they need a lot of support, and we can see them a couple of times a week if we are doing house maintenance for them. If not, then we try and phone a couple of times a week. One of my sisters lives 18 miles away, and we try and meet up once a month or so. The other sister is several hours away, but she neither phones or writes, or even sends christmas and birthday cards. She visited my parents last summer (I went to deal with the catering side of things) and that was the first time in three years that any of us had seen heard or seen her.


My sons - one lives fours hours away, and we speak to him at least once a week, sometimes twice, using phone, or skype. Other son lives 10 miles away, and again, we are in contact at least once a week usually by text, but sometimes by phone. My husband hears from him more. However, he and his partner join us with my parents for Sunday lunch once a month.


I host a family dinner with my sister, her husband, those of her children who are here, my parents, and both my sons and younger son's partner so about 9-10 of us, twice a year, Boxing Day and Easter Sunday. My sister hosts everyone on New Years Eve. Occasionally we have held a family barbeque too.


Would echo that you have to make the effort to keep in touch with your family members, but what ever you do, it has to fit your family's circumstances.

Bellisima

My parents have both passed away now, but I used to visit them once a week when I was working. After I went part time I used to pop in twice a week. They were only 5 miles away. When dad died I felt tremendous pressure to keep mum company, but she had lots of friends, but I worried so much about her. She developed Alzheimer’s and eventually went into a nursing home after leaving the grill on all night, luckily my brother found her in time. I still visited her twice a week in the nursing home.

I see my two sisters every 1-2 weeks, sometimes more. I only see my brother probably every 1-2 months as he runs a sports bar and has little free time, so I either pop into the bar or phone him. We are close but not in each other’s pockets. The sort of guy that will be there for you in a crisis ��

We see my husband’s daughter once a month, his son probably once every 1-2 months and his other son is in New Zealand but they FaceTime every week.

Vegastare

My parents have sadly passed away, my mother in law is close by, hubby phones her twice a day and sees her twice a week as do I....don't ask about her other children!!! Like many families, there is one sibling who seems to do everything and the rest never do and yet whenever they visit a big fuss is made of them.
Still he does it cause its his Mam and thats what matters.