Do you live far or close to family?

Ris1127 · May 2010

I live very close to my mother, father and grandparents. We might be moving to a 5 hour plane ride away from all of them. I'm just starting to freak out about not being close to everyone. If you live far away from them is it really hard? I just worry about our kiddos being away from her family and me not being close to my grandparents. I mean what if something happens to someone and I haven't seen them in 7 months or longer. ::Sigh:: why can't the move be closer:(

Hippinski · May 2010

Close. But even with that we don't see my ILs as much as we would like. We see my parents quite often.

But it's also not just the amount of time, it's what they do when you are together. And with Skype, the internet and phone you can still be in close contact. It will be okay!

littleanomaly · May 2010

6 hour drive and most of the time I don't mind it. Then again, I don't have any grandparents left and I can get there if I need to.

Sapphyr · May 2010

Right now too close for comfort. By the end of the year it'll be a five hour or so plane ride. But I'm not a family oriented person.

Ris1127 · May 2010

Hippinski:
Close. But even with that we don't see my ILs as much as we would like. We see my parents quite often.
But it's also not just the amount of time, it's what they do when you are together. And with Skype, the internet and phone you can still be in close contact. It will be okay!

Thanks. I really hope it will ne okay. We're not 100% sure if we'll go yet but it looks like it. I'm getting a lot of guilt from MIL and a little from my mom. With that, the added stress and of course being pregnant I'm a wreck!!

Dr.Loretta · May 2010

Far, and it's really no big deal. Really. I grew up with my grandparents physically far from us, and my grandmother and I were still close.

I wouldn't want to be closer than a 2 hour drive. But that's just me, and the Navy brat in me talking.

proudarmywife08 · May 2010

With DH in the army we're destined to live far from most of our family. Luckily (or not, depending on how you look at it...) we live near some of DH's extended family here. However, we're 1500 miles from my parents and extended family. We see them about 2-3 times a year, if we can afford ito visit each other. We visit DH's parents when we can (like when we drove thru Denver on our way here last year). I've gotten used to it, but the times I find it hard are the holidays. I'm a big family holiday type person so its rough on me that DH's extended family here isn't like that. But I manage. Oh and DD doesn't have a problem with it, she knows Grandma and Grandpa, but we also talk on the webcam when we can.

goodgalpal · May 2010

FAR, and I do not like it. I am an only child and don't live close enough to where my parents do. I would love to be able for them to be closer and spend time with me and my phantom child(ren). It would be nice to be able to count on them for an emergency situation, but I just can't due to distance. Its not a HORRIBLE distance, but it is too far for my comfort.

We live far from DH family too, but that doesn't matter as much since we are not as emotionally connected with them. They are nice and everything, just not really as close as we are to my family.

I think it sucks more than average because I really do not have a big family at all and I feel so alone. Maybe that would be different if we had kids. It also hurts that our friends don't live close to us either....

Belle15 · May 2010

That stinks!!

I'm far from my immediate family. My parent's and younger brother are in FL (3 hr by plane), my older brother and 1yo twin kids are out west (5 Hrs with out lay overs). I so wish my family as closer. I do have my aunts and uncles here and my DH's family, but it's not the same. Especially now that my brother has kids too. We're definitly all putting in more effort to stay connected and see each other. Skype is wonderful too!!

Mystery2B · May 2010

We live out of state - I wish we lived closer. We do video chat with them so they can see the baby but the downsides include:

1) pretty much all vacation time is spent going to visit family rather than actually go on a vacation plus the cost of the plane tickets and about half the time we rent a car

2) no help with C (so nice when we're visiting to have someone to hold her/watch her while I run an errand)

3) my parents are in poor health so I've gone there a couple times to help take care of things, being away from DH, and now it would be really hard with C

4) Just missing regular activities with them, both holidays/special events but also just regular things like having dinner together or going shopping.

blissfully_caffeinated · May 2010

SO and I live pretty far from both families. We're in Colorado. My family is in California and his is in Wisconsin. It's a several hour plane ride to either place. It's not really hard for us. We both like it. Though having free babysitting nearby would be awesome. I keep in touch with my family. I talk on the phone to them, we all Facebook, and I have a blog with tons of pictures of LO and updates on our life.

Shortcake2675 · May 2010

1600 miles to my family and an additional 400 miles to MH's family.

I miss them. I'd love to be within a short day's drive. But I don't see that happening any time soon. There aren't mines in places close to home. And MH wants to work internationally next.

So for now we drive 3 hrs to an airport, then spend 8+ hrs in airports.

We keep in touch through phone calls, emails, Skype, and we try to get home every 6 months or so.

*kms* · May 2010

We are 1.5 hours from my parents and 6 hours from the IL's....it's perfect It's wonderful being near my family. They are far enough away that they don't just stop by but can come in for a day if we need help w/ something, to watch DS, or just to hang out.

The 6 hour drive to the IL's isn't bad either. As awful as it sounds I like that we don't see them that often. It's been more since DS came along but 5-6 times a year is plenty.

clayswife · May 2010

We live a 5 hour drive away from my parents and 5 hours +2 hour ferry from DH's dad. 15 minutes from MIL who has never wanted to see DS and hasn't talked to us in about 5 years..

I really wish we were closer and do feel like DS is missing out because I grew up living 5 minutes from my grandparents, but we still usually get to seem them every month or two in the spring/summer.

papagena · May 2010

Far - about an 8 hour drive - we don't really do airplanes....

It's got it's perks and downfalls. It's harder now that DS is here - I'd like him to be closer to his GP's, although I didn't live near mine when I grew up, either. We definitely don't have the babysitting/family support system. We have friends who are wonderful, but it's not the same. I worry a bit about something happening to my GP's, who live close to my parents now, but I know we can get down there if we need to, and they can get up here if we really needed them to.

We love it where we live, less traffic, more open & natural spaces, etc. We've made a life here, and I don't know if we'll ever move back that way. Sometimes I'm a bit sad at that thought, but at the same time, I don't miss the place, just the people, so I don't know if we'd truly be happy if we did move back. :-/ so... here we stay.

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