Can anyone unravel this mystery?

[Tsav]

I have a 3yr old son who lives abroad wth his Nan and mother( his mother has been posted abroad temporarly)
Whenever I call, its a struggle to get him to talk to me over the phone, although sometimes he does make an effort.Its now 6 months since he has been away. Is this common with toddlers i.e they dont like talking on the phone or am I worrying myself unnecessary?

Oh definitely.

My children listen intently but barely say a word if they are 'talking' to their grandparents. Their faces show that they are enjoying the call.

Must be hard for you being apart.

Keep up with the phone calls though I'm sure your 3 year old appreciated it.

I wouldn't worry too much about talking on the phone. My DS wouldn't talk properly until he was just over 4 - and even then it was hit and miss. It is only now at 5 that you can hold a 'proper' conversation with him.

I found at that age, the best thing to do was ask yes r no questions.

Do not worry, in my limited experience with DS only, 'tis normal

Tsav, does your ds have to hold the phone to his ear? A lot of toddlers don't like this. Our friend was in a similar situation and dh suggested a handsfree kit and once they got it installed, our friend's ds was much happier to talk to his Dad on the phone. A webcam might work as well, if it was possible to install it?

My dd (2.10) hates talking on the phone. My MIL calls often but dd won't talk aloud to her, though she loves listening to whatever she's saying. Sometimes she'll nod yes or no; she doesn't quite get it that they can't see her over the phone .

Don't worry, I bet your ds looks forward to your calls. How long do you have to live apart?

I find using speakerphone seems to be better for getting dcs to talk on the phone, rather than holding it to their ear.

My seven year old still won't talk on the phone. If DH or I are away the older two will talk to us, but the 7 year old point blank refuses.
It must be hurtful, but try not to take it personally. I think it is very common for toddlers. A webcam might really help, if it were possible to arrange.

ds wasnt very good at talking to his dad over the phone and still can be a pita (nearly). so ex reads him a story instead. so ds knows his dad cares and there is no pressure to talk. They talk if the mood takes but it is about knowing you are there more then the talking and they are too young to fully explain what they think at feel so conversation is limited, you have to become skilled in leading questions. This also allows you to extract information about what has happen at school when they get that old eg what did you do at school today? nothing vs did you paint today? did you enjoy the story today? which will extract just a tad more info.

its tough but not personal. Just be there.

its late sorry meant to say he's nearly five now and still a pita on the phone.