Parents talk over long-distance gap

by Brittanie Byron STE03043@BYUI.EDU Campus Asst. Editor

Society tends to accept the idea that long-distance relationships don’t work out. But everyday students at BYU-Idaho are learning to strengthen relationships with parents who often live far away and have perspectives on life that range even farther.

Despite the long-distance, students reiterated that even though being away from home has made communication harder, it’s made them learn to appreciate their parents more and maybe even take their advice.

“I’ve learned, in communicating with my parents, that they are always right,” Kathleen Hodgeson, a sophomore from Benton City, Wash., said. “Even if I don’t think they’re right — they are.”

Kelly Greenough, a sophomore from Liverpool, England, talks with her parents about once a week. Since calling out of the country is expensive, Greenough said that they’ve learned to love the time they do have to talk.

“When you talk [to your parents] you tend to talk about important stuff,” Greenough said.

Kamala Sloan, a senior from Placerville, Calif., said that she’s noticed changes in her communication with her parents since she’s gotten married. She said that marriage has helped her learn to respect her parents even more now.

“Our communication is really good and I really respect my parents because they’ve gone through a lot of trials through their lives,” Sloan said.

Sloan added that seeing her husband and her parents interact with each other is another aspect of her communication with her parents that means a great deal to her.

Once the kids move out, parent-child relationships change. The newly independent son or daughter often learns to value their parents’ advice and the parents tend to trust them more.

This is the case with Hodgeson.

“They still try to be my parents but they realize I’m an adult and I still have to learn from my own mistakes,” she said.

Maybe it’s homesickness, or the need for a little extra support, but there is something about parents that makes their children irreplaceable.

“Sometimes you prefer to have [your parents] to talk to,” Greenough said.