To expect my in-laws to be able to use Skype?

[ConfusedKiwi]

We are currently living in NZ, in-laws are in UK. They want to Skype us every weekend (although usually ends up every fortnight) to see my ds. That's great - when we were in the UK we did the reverse with my family and the time difference generally works out pretty well.

However, they seem to struggle to use it even though before we left we gave them instructions, my sister in-law has sat with them and talked it through numerous times and we advise them nearly every call. I realise they are not as familiar with laptops and the internet as my generation (although my family, including my mum who is a bit of a technophobe managed it).

1. They never turn on the video at their end until we remind them.
2. They set it up virtually every time with a bright light directly behind my MIL so you can't actually see her face (not very engaging for a 2 yr old).
3. They set it up so that they aren't sitting together and then attempt to swing the camera back and forth.
4. They don't seem to be aware that they go out of shot frequently when they lean forward (again, a 2 yr old isn't particularly interested in talking/responding to a random voice).

Finally, and I expect this is unreasonable, my MIL doesn't 'do' anything, she just sits and watches. At least my FIL attempts to play games (e.g. if 2 yr old points at screen he reacts).

The above would probably be fine if they only expected say 10 minutes but they want to skype for a lot longer but trying to get a 2 yr old to stay and interact (or even stay in the room) is impossible when he can't see them and my MIL just sits there half out of shot in silhouette.

They are coming out for 10 weeks from just before xmas (when dc2 is due) and I am dreading the fact that my MIL will not interact with ds but will complain that he doesn't like her... as she did when he was a very wriggly baby and cried if she just tried to hold him still. Unfortunately due to health issues she is less mobile than average for her age which is part of the problem but she also has very high expectations of him and I am worried she is going to be disappointed (and vocally complain) when he wants to play with Grandad or others instead of her.

Oh well, at least we can try and coach them in Skype again when they are here and it might improve things once they are back in UK...

understanding of tech is not related to age - had an email from an 87 year old the other day saying she wasn't stranded without her car as she had just done her grocery shopping online, and I have a 93 year old relative who uses skype and facebook as well as email. I also know much younger who can't cope at all!

suggestion for skype calls with a toddler; get the other end to buy a couple of charity shop toys and show them in the call. Bears that wave always go down well with toddlers and will produce cute big grins. Also try to get them to understand that the small screen in the corner shows what the other end is seeing?

i agree that it can be a groundhog day situation. :-)

No, understanding of technology is not related to age, but the desire to understand it is and sometimes people need a bit of help to encourage them that it is a worthwhile effort to make.

I have a new solution.

We live in the UK and inlaws live in NZ.

I suggest a partial swap.

Not full time you understand, I adore my MIL and don't want to trade her. I also really like my FIL, but he has a habit of falling asleep in front of Skype which makes interacting hard. Also DD likes to play hide and seek which doesn't work over skype. My proposal is that I will take DD to your inlaws as a subsitute for your DS and you take your DS to my inlaws.
Then they both have a small child to see (children are interchangable right - no-one will notice???) and no need for computers at all. They can see the 'correct' child on the visits.

An alternative - may I suggest just swapping the children? Quick warning - mine comes with the ability to draw on walls (I didn't request this application but it seems to come free with the product and is proving challenging to uninstall - you may have more luck with this) and a desire to make pancakes at odd times of day. Interested? That way, the grandparents could see the correct child in person and you and me could skype with them - as we both understand it - might be a lot less stressful.

By seeing the correct child on the visits, I meant the ones where they come and stay with you, or I go to NZ with DD - when everyone related is in the same country - oh, I give up. I know what I mean.

My longest-standing UK friend, since the early 70s, still hasn't/won't do Skype. I have to Skype. This friend has all the tech yet has NEVER initiated a phone call to me.

Six years in Oz. Fuckity fuck. Just writing this has made me realise.

Sigh....add Skype do's and dont's to huge spreadsheet of what to do and what not.

Sounds like the problem isn't so much their technical ability as the expectation that your DS will sit still for a long time looking at them doing nothing. I'd just let him get down after 10 mins rather than force it.

Also, it is easy to 'over-worry' before someone comes to stay about how they're going to be. You may find that MIL isn't how you fear she will be with DS at all. So don't stress unless it actually happens.

Or just go with baby's suggestion!

Facetime is much easier. We do it with my iphone and you can use the camera on the back of the phone so that you can have a normal adult conversation while following DC around with the camera so that they can watch your DC playing.

Kia ora, Kiwi
We have the same problem, was in UK (now Russia) with NZ parents, and in-laws. Firstly, I would say that kudos to both sets of parents on even trying skype -my mother has never done it despite having a laptop that is able to for the last 6 years - we have lived away from NZ for 12 :-(
We skype my inlaws once a week, every Saturday although the time changes. although it is a pain sometimes, i am just happy that they are so keen. It is only now at 3.5 that my DD interacts with them really, and it is only for a few minutes at a time. the skype is really for us to chat, DD comes and goes,shows off a new toy or picture, book etc
I agree with mulledwine -just tell them when you connect to put on a light or sit closer -don't expect your DD to entertain them for any length of time. Skype has made a huge difference to being away -we currently live in a very remote location, but luckily it has a great internet connection:-) makes the times inbetween go faster.
We bought an iPad, which makes it so easy, actually they called once and I only realised after a few minutes that my DD had answered and was chatting away to granny in NZ! Haven't managed facetime though, but the ipad is fab travelling in any case....
good luck! enjoy NZ,summer,soon.....

Thanks all, I really do appreciate that they even want to skype - it's great that my ds recognises them as his grandparents and that they have this level of interaction when so far away.

They have an ipad (and pc and laptop) but we only have laptop at the moment and don't intend to buy an ipad so facetime not an option.

Will encourage ds to show toys/books more in future.

Love the idea of swapping with baby, however what I really want is someone to develop a cheap/safe teleportation device so we can actually get over there more easily. We were in the UK for 5 years before our first trip back home and I think we are going to be looking at similar going the other way due to the costs.... really miss our friends and having proper interaction with DH's family (particularly their xmas celebrations).

I would limit it to 10 minutes, I don't like long phone calls so would get bored with long skype calls. I'd have toddler in view for a few minutes and then when he gets bored you go off with toddler and your husband chats to his parents for a few minutes more.
It's really just a phone with a video link, I'd treat it as such, on the phone a kid would just say hello then wander off so i'd do the same with skype.
Have 3 or 4 minutes of small sprog waving and showing them stuff and then leave your husband to chat.

It took AGES for my DP to understand and use skype. I would agree with whoever it was who said that it does seem to be partly linked to wanting to use it. The improvement in my DPs' communication with us came at the same time as a lot of other improvements in our relationship. They did seem prepared to try harder to maintain a relationship with us over distance and now it works really well.

I think that patience might be the key though. The more we used it, the better it got with my DP. Also the DDs have got more used to sitting and chatting, singing etc. in front of a computer screen so they are probably more exciting/engaging. This year DD1 opened her birthday presents from GPs with them watching her on skype. That was a lovely time for them. Sometimes we have just had it on in the background when the DD have been doing something such as playing in the paddling pool or cutting out cookies. Just so that GPs see them 'live' and feel included in what we do on a day to day basis. We have a couple of books that we each have a copy of and GPs 'read together' with DDs too.

I don't think I'd like the feeling of being watched whilst I got on with stuff, I'd worry I'd forget about it and say something inapproriate. I can see the opening presents might be good, but am glad my dad has never expressed a wish to use skype, although teenagers probably aren't as entertaining as toddlers.

I'm in the queue to use the teleportation device!

We actually have far more success with dd's Kiwi cousins talking on Skype. They are 12 and as soon as they start to chat to dd, they do things like sing nursery rhymes, or do silly things and ask her if she can copy them, or take the computer off to show her things in their bedroom which she finds interesting, rather than asking the standard grown up questions (have you been a good girl? what have you been doing lately?).
We also follow dd round so they can just watch her at play. It's not possible to just leave the computer in one place as dd wanders off so you actively have to follow her with it, making sure they can see her, so you don't forget it's on or anything. It also gives them a chance to ask her about what she's doing and engage with her about that activity, rather than relying on fairly abstract conversation. It does help that MIL plays along so then if dd hands her something through the computer, she pretends to take it and says thank you etc. But we do find it's better to follow her round and let them try and engage with her through that than issuing instructions. "Can you draw a picture for Gran to see?" tends to get a loud "No" and her running off, whereas she does actually pick up pencils a lot and if we give her a bit of space, she's quite likely to wander off and draw a picture and then she holds it up for them to admire just as she would if they were in the room.

The baby swap idea is still open for the taking by the way. You may also need to know that dd (age 3) is starting to learn the art of 'talking back'. When trying to tell her off the other day I was met with a big sigh and a weary "Mummy, if you're not going to say anything nice I don't want to listen".

Sounds like there are 2 problems - first is technical - they've got the hang of the basics, but aren't comfortable enough with the technology to understand how to get the best out of it - solution to this is probably patience and time and keep repeating what they need to do and reiterating that they need to look at the picture that they are sending which is what you see.
Second is probably general communication - they aren't good at interacting with children. Not sure how to fix this - maybe examples of things that worked with your parents, and just hope that after your visit they've managed to find some common ground to interact and play with your son. I'd be tempted to manage the conversations until they get better - get some things that your son wants to show them, but equally pounce on anything interactive that they could do and show your son.