Why Your Adult Children Don’t Call as Often as You Expected

For much of the 20th century, calling someone was one of the main ways to maintain a relationship from a distance. Today, that is no longer necessarily the case.

Your adult children may text, send photos, share jokes, respond in a family group chat, or check in briefly throughout the week—while rarely thinking, I should make a phone call.

In this video, Modern Boomer Guides explains why that shift can sometimes feel more personal than it really is.

A Different Way to Measure Connection

A phone call requires both people to be available at the same time. A text, photo, or quick message can fit into the small openings of an ordinary day.

That means a parent may think, “We haven’t talked in two weeks,” while an adult child thinks, “We talked yesterday.”

They may simply be counting different kinds of contact.

The better question may not be only, “How often do they call?”

It may be: “How does this person stay connected?”

Want to Learn More?

This video is based on A Modern Boomer Guide to Understanding Your Adult Millennial Children, a 52-page full-color visual guide exploring communication, independence, work, money, relationships, technology, family expectations, boundaries, and the generational changes that can shape relationships between parents and their adult children.

Preview the guide for free or get the complete digital edition →