how often do you see your parents?

[colie]

How often do you see your mum and then your dad? I was reading something recently (it was dated 1995) but stated that most adults over 16 see their mum once a week, think it was 52%, and something like 47% saw their Dads once a week.

I am feeling extremeley guilty as I don't see mine anywhere near that, and neither does dh see his anything like that amount. Granted we do live 250 miles away from them. My mum has lived about 300 miles away from me for the past 16 years so can't really compare it.

Also, this article indicated that adults with children see their mums more often than adults without children. Suppose this makes sense.

Anyhow, what are your experiences? Do you think these statistics would ring true now, over 10 years later.

Haven't seen my Mum for 3 yrs. Since she and my dad moved to Turkey. Saw her nearly every day before they moved.
Saw dad briefly in August when he had to pop back to the UK to sort a few things out.

Why did they want to move so far away from their family and grandkids?

Well, I haven't seen my dad for about 15 years, but he did die then, so it's been a bit tough to get hold of him!

Mind you, until then, and for some years afterwards, my brothers and I used to turn up at the Parental Home for Sunday lunch most weeks - good food, good company, we had great fun. Xmas and Easter, and often birthdays too.

Kept it up after he died for a few years, to keep a sense of normality going. Gradually stopped when my bro got married. We were just getting it started more regularly again when I got married. DH hated the idea of family lunches so it stopped again for me, anyway. I would drop in to see her once a week though just to make sure she was OK. My brothers would drop in from time to time too, maybe once a month?

Now mum lives with us, and my bros turn up at Xmas and occasionally at other times during the year. We are now 150miles away from them though. If we were still in London, no doubt we'd see more of each other (I'd be doing Sunday lunches, so I'm sure that would drag them in!)

I see my mum once a week and 3 times a week when DP away to help with childcare while i work, she's 30 miles from me. We're close but haven't always seen that much of her - stepped up since my dad died 5 yrs ago and we've become closer since DD was born and i'm really happy bout that.

On other hand - REALLY want to leave this place and would give it serious thought if opportunity arose but the more time goes on, and the closer the bond DD and my mum have (plus the free childcare ) the harder it would be.

61% of grandparents see their grandchildren at least once a week. My kids see their grandparents about 6 times a year.

You would never guess I am mnetting doing a sociology essay at the moment.

Twice a year when we go to see them.

They have never come to see us in 20 years of marriage. Its 200 miles away but its not the moon and they are retired.

My parents once maybe twice a year, they live abroad. (I miss them [cry])
PIL if you average it out the maybe twice a month it can be in fits and starts though. They live in the same county though, just busy lives and the fact that I don't drive means that its not more often.

ABet-what reason/s do they give for never visiting?
I am lucky though that my family have visited, we are 250 miles away. Though many members have only visited once.
We were all spread out when we were growing up so were use to having to travel long distances to visit family. Both grandmothers lived about 500 miles away from us but in opposite directions of the country!!

My mum lives the other side of London so about a 2 hours journey on trains, we see her about once month, more in school holidays

MIL lives 200 miles aways and see her 3 to 4 times a year.

But I talk to both nearly every day. When we lived local to MIL we went every sunday.

colie - they have been given an open invite so many times I have lost count.

They just do not come. No reason given.

Sheer laziness perhaps?

DH's mum and step-dad used to come through Devon on the way to Cornwall at least twice a year. When we first moved here they still did that, and would stop off at our place (we're 5 mins off the A30) on the way. SFIL would refuse to stay for longer than a few hours as he liked to get all the driving done in one day. However, the last time they came was nearly a year ago. They have an open invitation to stay, but won't even take lunch - bring their own sandwiches! I can be getting lunch ready in front of them, and asking them to stay for it but they always refuse.

DD stayed with them for nearly a week last summer, during which time SFIL refused to take her into Hampton Court because it was too expensive (they're rich, believe me), and allowed his friend to bully her, shout at her and manhandle her. We have decided that she will not be staying with them again. So they will have to come here if they want to see her.

Otherwise, I guess we won't see them at all. I'm not convinced that SFIL would even bother to let us know if MIL died, you know.

My parents live in the same town as me - she looks after my children for me twice a week, so I see her at least twice. Usually it is 3-4 times a week. (Mostly, just me and the girls go to visit them, DH joins us about once every three weeks or so)

My Grandparents also live in the same town. I see them usually twice a week. (Again just me and my DDs)

My ILs live about 1hr away (just under). We see them every two-three months (yet to see them this year). Neither DH nor his parents seem particularly bothered about seeing each other. DH 'does his duty' but that's about it.

I think different people have different priorities, when it comes to family. It would upset me if I couldn't see (or speak to, if I lived further away) my folks at least once a week, yet my DH worked less than a mile from his folks for almost two years and yet never just popped in to visit them (only ever went on a functional visit). Not everyone is family minded, so I think it varies.

Sorry, mum looks after my children

once every couple of months as over 300 miles away. Usually on the phone 1-2 times a week.