Keeping in touch with friends

In addition to occasionally forgetting your spouse’s name, among the more troublesome side-effects of becoming a parent is losing touch with your friends, especially if they have kids, too. After a day of battling diapers, homework, and trips to the grocery store, most of us are too tired to pick up the phone, never mind putting on a decent pair of jeans and going out for coffee. But there is hope. In these days of email, social networking sites, blogs and mobile phones there are more ways than ever to keep in touch without adding extra stress to your routine.

Email

Most parents can find a few minutes, even if it’s just once a week, to email friends. The beauty of emailing, unlike calling, is that you can do it whenever it’s convenient for you, even if it’s at 3:00 am. Most email programs allow you to email several people at once, making it possible to tell everyone about your son’s new tooth, or to request recipes using the truckload of tomatoes your mother-in-law left on your counter, with just a few keystrokes. You can also use email to share photos or to send out occasional invites for barbecues and birthday parties.

Social networking

Newsflash: Social networking sites are not just for college kids or people looking for dates. Web sites like My Space and Face Book allow users to create their own pages, post pictures, and form online groups. And though setting up a page can take some time initially, in the end, your efforts will be rewarded by all the fun you will have sharing photos, seeing what your friends are up to, and leaving snarky comments on their pages. Social networking sites come in all shapes and sizes, some geared toward people with certain interests: travel enthusiasts, moms with tattoos, gardening buffs, etc. A little bit of research is all you need to find one that’s right for you and your friends.

Blogs

Although blogs aren’t interactive in the way that email and social networking sites are, they’re still a great way of keeping your friends up to speed on your life. You can update them whenever you have time, be it daily, weekly or monthly, add photos and links, and be as creative as you like with the content. Friends can send out a group email whenever they’ve made an update, or use a blog’s contents as a jumping off point for conversations, avoiding time-consuming small talk.

Mobile phones

To survive, most parents rely on multi-tasking. And while it’s never a good idea to talk on the phone while driving or crossing busy intersections, there is nothing wrong with catching up with friends while waiting for the bus or standing in line at the drug store. Many calling plans offer free nationwide long distance. So if you want to talk to your girlfriend in San Jose while shopping for birthday gifts in Boston, you won’t have to worry about the phone bill. Mobile phones are also a great way to share photos or information quickly. A quick text message to say “Good luck!” or “Have a great day!” can mean the world to a friend. It lets her know that you’re still thinking about her, even in the midst of your crazy life.