Social networking sites and video calls can add a new dimension to communicating with your teen. Your child may not view you as a spying parent, but as a savvy adult who knows the ins and outs of digital communication. Hone up on your messaging shorthand and chat with your teens using Facebook, Twitter or make a video call on Skype.

Keep in touch with family using Facebook. Use Facebook to connect your teen with relatives. Create an online scrapbook in which all of the relatives share photos from the past among each other on this social networking site. Adjust the privacy settings so that only family members can see the photos. You can also coordinate family gatherings with extended family members using Facebook. Teens can use the social networking tool to show photos that mark special occasions like graduation day or acceptance on a sports team at school.

Call your teen on Skype. Use Skype to see and hear your teen when they on the go. Not only can you use Skype when teens are hanging out with friends in a café, but you can keep in touch, making video calls to your teen's phone when she is visiting grandparents or participating in a overnight activity. You can also have video calls with your teen for a small fee if he is traveling abroad. Make conference calls with several members of the family, using Skype, chatting with distance relatives for free or at a low price. Computer to computer calls are free, but calls from your computer to cell phone or landlines cost a small fee.

Twitter up to the minute updates. Tweet chores to your teen or learn your teen's whereabouts on Twitter. Follow your teen on Twitter and discuss her favorite television shows and celebrity news. If you don't want to make your messages public, you can send direct messages to your teen using Twitter, which are private between two users.

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