Getting 2.5yo to talk on the phone

"Ignoramus12517" wrote in message
...
I have a 2.5 year old son, and he used to be better at talking on the
phone than he is now. He used to stay on the phone, answer simple
questions, listen, sometimes tell some news like "the weather is bad,
it is raining" etc. Now he just more or less refuses to talk on the
phone. What gives? He is a very good talker in general.

He doesn't like to talk on the phone maybe? I know lots of adults like that.
Myself included.

Maybe he's too young to understand the concept of a real live person on the
other end when he can't see them? My ds at 3, just started talking to
actually talk to his grandparents on the phone instead of just nodding and
making facial expressions. He just doesn't understand that they can't see
them.

I wouldn't push the issue. In a few years you'll be begging him to get OFF
the phone.
--
JennP.

"I base my fashion on what doesn't itch" Gilda Radner

Ignoramus12517 wrote in message
...
I have a 2.5 year old son, and he used to be better at talking on the
phone than he is now. He used to stay on the phone, answer simple
questions, listen, sometimes tell some news like "the weather is bad,
it is raining" etc. Now he just more or less refuses to talk on the
phone. What gives? He is a very good talker in general.

i
Personally I'd like to know how to stop my dd#1 on the phone. She is very
good at deflecting cold calls. Most men ring off as soon as they realise
they've got to speak to a 3 year old. She manages to filter most of the junk
calls out and only hands the phone telling me who she thinks it is.. Once
she gets the phone off me if she knows the person then I have difficulty
getting it back. At 2 years old she just nodded or shook her head on the
phone, so I'd say, leave your son alone and he'll talk again.
Debbie

In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

I have a 2.5 year old son, and he used to be better at talking on the
phone than he is now. He used to stay on the phone, answer simple
questions, listen, sometimes tell some news like "the weather is bad,
it is raining" etc. Now he just more or less refuses to talk on the
phone. What gives? He is a very good talker in general.

i

My son at a certain point became very sensitive to being 'put on the spot'. So
the novelty of the phone was overcome by his uncomfortable feeling that he has
to up and say something for Grandpa.

Could this be the situation for your boy - is he feeling like he has to perform?

Banty

Ignoramus12517 wrote:
I have a 2.5 year old son, and he used to be better at talking on the
phone than he is now. He used to stay on the phone, answer simple
questions, listen, sometimes tell some news like "the weather is bad,
it is raining" etc. Now he just more or less refuses to talk on the
phone. What gives? He is a very good talker in general.

My second son is 2.5 and talks well. He has moved into the bashful phase
and doesn't talk on the phone, and no longer talks to people at the store
etc. I think it is a phase that will pass. I think it is about a year long
phase though ;-)

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

In article , Banty wrote:
In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

I have a 2.5 year old son, and he used to be better at talking on the
phone than he is now. He used to stay on the phone, answer simple
questions, listen, sometimes tell some news like "the weather is bad,
it is raining" etc. Now he just more or less refuses to talk on the
phone. What gives? He is a very good talker in general.

i

My son at a certain point became very sensitive to being 'put on the
spot'. So the novelty of the phone was overcome by his
uncomfortable feeling that he has to up and say something for
Grandpa.

Could this be the situation for your boy - is he feeling like he has
to perform?


It is an extremely likely explanation, yes.

i

So ask him if he wants to talk, and if he doesn't, smile and say 'OK'. After
awhile, this reluctance, should wear off if you take the pressure off. Might
take on the order of months, though - perhaps more development is needed to get
past it. He might have gotten this way no matter what you do.

Banty

In article ,
Banty wrote:
In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

In article , Banty wrote:

My son at a certain point became very sensitive to being 'put on the
spot'. So the novelty of the phone was overcome by his
uncomfortable feeling that he has to up and say something for
Grandpa.

Could this be the situation for your boy - is he feeling like he has
to perform?


It is an extremely likely explanation, yes.


So ask him if he wants to talk, and if he doesn't, smile and say 'OK'. After
awhile, this reluctance, should wear off if you take the pressure off. Might
take on the order of months, though - perhaps more development is needed to get
past it. He might have gotten this way no matter what you do.


I find that if I tell my 2.5yo what to say, he is sometimes less reluctant.
As in, "can you tell Grandma what book you are looking at", etc.... he won't
have a conversation, but Grandma likes to hear his voice anyhow.

I agree with Banty's suggestion to keep the pressure off as well. If he
still declines to talk, back off. Making a big issue of it won't help.

--Robyn

In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

In article , Robyn Kozierok wrote:
In article ,
Banty wrote:
In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

In article , Banty wrote:

My son at a certain point became very sensitive to being 'put on the
spot'. So the novelty of the phone was overcome by his
uncomfortable feeling that he has to up and say something for
Grandpa.

Could this be the situation for your boy - is he feeling like he has
to perform?


It is an extremely likely explanation, yes.


So ask him if he wants to talk, and if he doesn't, smile and say 'OK'. After
awhile, this reluctance, should wear off if you take the pressure off. Might
take on the order of months, though - perhaps more development is needed to get
past it. He might have gotten this way no matter what you do.


I find that if I tell my 2.5yo what to say, he is sometimes less reluctant.
As in, "can you tell Grandma what book you are looking at", etc.... he won't
have a conversation, but Grandma likes to hear his voice anyhow.

I agree with Banty's suggestion to keep the pressure off as well. If he
still declines to talk, back off. Making a big issue of it won't help.


Thanks. I agree that there is no need for pressure. I was just hoping
that there was some magic trick that could make him interested.

Sometimes we "talk on the phone" when we both are in the same room. He
holds a receiver, I hold another receiver, and we just talk
regularly. To him this is like a pretend game.

i

But why would you want a trick? Why do you need him to talk on the phone?

Banty

In article ,
Banty wrote:
In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

Thanks. I agree that there is no need for pressure. I was just hoping
that there was some magic trick that could make him interested.


But why would you want a trick? Why do you need him to talk on the phone?


If you have distant relatives, they really like talking to the kids on
the phone. It is disappointing to them when the kids don't want to talk.
To the extent that we can encourage the kids to talk without pressuring
them, it is a good thing.

--Robyn

In article , Robyn Kozierok says...

In article ,
Banty wrote:
In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

Thanks. I agree that there is no need for pressure. I was just hoping
that there was some magic trick that could make him interested.


But why would you want a trick? Why do you need him to talk on the phone?


If you have distant relatives, they really like talking to the kids on
the phone. It is disappointing to them when the kids don't want to talk.
To the extent that we can encourage the kids to talk without pressuring
them, it is a good thing.

--Robyn

I do, and they do, but really, this is the auditory version of
must-kiss-Grandma. If they want to, fine. If not, I think that has to be
respected, too. It isn't so much a physical thing as must-kiss-Grandma, but
it's still intrusive to expecte a little kid to have to say something on cue.
The relatives really shouldn't take it personally if a toddler won't talk to
them on this weird disjointed voice thingy.

Banty

In article ,
Banty wrote:

In article , Robyn Kozierok says...

In article ,
Banty wrote:
In article , Ignoramus12517 says...

Thanks. I agree that there is no need for pressure. I was just hoping
that there was some magic trick that could make him interested.


But why would you want a trick? Why do you need him to talk on the phone?


If you have distant relatives, they really like talking to the kids on
the phone. It is disappointing to them when the kids don't want to talk.
To the extent that we can encourage the kids to talk without pressuring
them, it is a good thing.

--Robyn

I do, and they do, but really, this is the auditory version of
must-kiss-Grandma. If they want to, fine. If not, I think that has to be
respected, too. It isn't so much a physical thing as must-kiss-Grandma, but
it's still intrusive to expecte a little kid to have to say something on cue.
The relatives really shouldn't take it personally if a toddler won't talk to
them on this weird disjointed voice thingy.

Banty


No, but the OP wasn't asking for a way to force the kid to do it --
just if anyone had any handy "magic" that might encourage the child to
enjoy talking on the phone. I think one can put too much of a spin on
the word "trick" -- I just use it as a quick way to refer to some
technique or approach that works.

In this case, can't think of one.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care