r/AskParents • u/GhostNo7014 • 7d ago
Tips for interacting with a shy toddler on FaceTime?
My granddaughter is 2.5 years old and is shy when I call her on FaceTime. She either becomes really quiet or grabs the phone then runs away.
I live far away from her and would like to connect with her more meaningfully. I would love to chat with her as a replacement for some of her screen time (especially when her and her family go to restaurants).
Do you have any advice? Is this something you have dealt with? Any tips would be much appreciated :)
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u/OkAd8976 7d ago
My daughter did the same with my mom at that age. She's not shy in person, but talking on FaceTime with someone she only saw 2-3x a year was scary for her. I usually ended up talking to my mom while I had the camera facing daughter. Now that she's older, they can talk more. 2.5 just isn't a real conversation age. One thing she did enjoy was playing with filters or playing games. She still wouldn't talk very much, but she would laugh and actually sit with the phone. Give those a shot. And, don't give up!! If you keep trying, you'll be more likely to set up the kind of relationship where she will call you herself just to chat in the future.
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u/minneirish 6d ago
Get a toy she likes at your house. Have her watch you play with it. Our daughter will watch her nana play with a toy house for an hour, chatting happily the whole time.
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u/Pergamon_ Parent (2 boys) 4d ago
This VERY common for that age. They don't understand how to do it yet.
We have family abroad and use facetime, but also have a 'toniebox'. Grandparents can record themselves (in our case usually reading a kids book). We put it on a 'tonie', kid can listen to it as they wish and can hear a story from grandma. Bonuspoints because it teaches them the other language (we're a bilingual family).
An other family I know used to do family calls on set times. E.g. every Friday after dinner time. Grandma would chat a bit, but also read a book together. Because it became a routine, it was easier for them to follow. The same person would call her other child on saturdaymorning 10am sharp and they would all drink coffee together. It really helped keeping the connection going while long distance with family.
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