As the holiday season comes closer and closer, many military families are spending the holidays apart. Others are spending the holidays together with the looming dread of deployment just days after what is supposed to be a happy time!
We all know times have changed. Deployments are not like they were for our parents and grandparents. We have a great little thing called technology! We don’t have to wait months on end for a letter to reach us from overseas. Many deployed service men and women are using Skype to keep in contact weekly, if not daily! Even emails come within minutes of the service member sending them. Pictures can be sent back and forth with a click of a button.
Skype is a great way to enable your service member to watch their kids open Christmas gifts or be part of a birthday party, even when they are an ocean away. Heck, it has been a blessing for many to be able to be at the birth of their child via Skype as well!
With all of this new technology, you need to make sure your computer can handle it! The Inspiron 15 7000 Series 2-in-1 Laptop Click Here
has everything you need to not miss a thing! It’s a powerful laptop and large 15.6” tablet in one premium design, with True Color technology for crisp, vibrant imagery.
So how can you stay connected in addition to traditional Skype and email? One great way is to get prerecorded books, that way your service member can read your child a book every night before bed without missing a beat. Have the service member record a few before they leave, including any holiday books for holidays they will miss. I know a few service members who have also picked up some other books and mailed them home to add to the collection while away.
Some kids play games together with a parent and when that parent is gone, it is the perfect time to encourage your child to practice those games so they can impress, and possibly beat the parent when they come home. The Inspiron 15 7000 Series 2-in-1 Laptop ( Click Here ) is perfect for this too!
These laptops are great for videos as well! One of my favorite things to do during deployment was to make a collection on a CD of videos of the kids, and what was going on in the house during his absence. I would put a new one in each care package that we mailed. It was like a home video and he said many nights he fell asleep watching them!
Some are lucky and are in an area where their phone will work. This means you can FaceTime, text and send pictures during the day. So investing in a good phone is a must. This is more for when they are away at training or TAD (temporarily) at another base.
What about grandparents and other family members who don’t live near? Skype and FaceTime can be fun, but there are now many apps that grandparents can use to send messages that will work on tablets, computers and phones for the kids!
It’s important to schedule weekly calls and let everyone know what is going on, but you just can’t beat the face of a child who sees their grandparent holding some of the artwork they sent them! My kids just loved being able to do that and if it weren’t for being able to use a laptop with a webcam, that wouldn’t have been possible!
We can all agree that technology plays a big part in keeping military families together when they are separated but it can get expensive! Did you know Dell has a Military Discount Program? Here is what you get!
Military community members get the best perks and prices, including up to 30% off Dell PCs, electronics and accessories. Members also enjoy access to exclusive offers and presale events.
No matter what way you keep in contact while your family is separated, Dell can help you! What are your favorite ways to keep in contact?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of MSB New Media & Military.com on behalf of Dell. The opinions and text are all mine.
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