Video contact for 18 month old

[Whateverittakes18]

Would any of you say that an 18 month old gets any benefit from video calls with the nrp between face to face contact sessions?

If the child can recognise the person yes. They may only sit still for a minute or two and then I’d finish the call.

Yes, although from experience the calls don't last long.
Also depends on the circumstances. Are both parties agreeable to it? Will whoever the child is with actively encourage them to talk and say hello etc?
Skype calls were included as part of a court order for my child and I found building up their excitement to talk with the other parent definitely helped.

Yes, although from experience the calls don't last long.
Also depends on the circumstances. Are both parties agreeable to it? Will whoever the child is with actively encourage them to talk and say hello etc?
Skype calls were included as part of a court order for my child and I found building up their excitement to talk with the other parent definitely helped.

Yes! It would keep the child familiar with nrp providing they nrp actually sticks to a routine and the call is used only for the reason of maintaining contact. This is sometimes used in conjunction with contact centres or before contact centres are explored by courts.

Yes, especially if the child has a bond with that parent and even if they don’t, having any form of contact with their parent will help that bond between parent and child grow.

Definitely, assuming no developmental issues with the child that make communication more difficult than average. It's not ideal but I know during lockdown my DS (aged 14 to 17 months) got a lot of pleasure from regular calls with his grandparents - at least 3 or 4 times a week. He doesnt speak so it was very one sided. When he finally saw his grandparents, he ran to them smiling. He didnt do that with anyone else he met after lockdown.

My 15month old LOVES Skyping so yes defo

Yes. My 17 month old love facetiming grandparents thanks to lock down. Obviously a lot of it is them watching him playing but he does come and wave and speak to them

Absolutely, yes. My daughter does video calls to her dad every week. She enjoys singing with him, feeding him, talking to him. Sometimes she's in her own little world but that's OK.

That was what I thought.

And at what age would you say that a child will actively engage in video calls?

Basically exp had a long absence from seeing dd, now seeing her face to face once a week for a couple of hours and has done time 5 times, I've said let's keep video contact going as it helps dd get familiar with you etc especially when before the absence they hadn't formed a bond.

Now he is saying no and that he doesn't want to until dd can actively communicate. But just because she isn't talking doesn't mean she isn't interacting and also by the time she can engage which I suspect won't be until 4/5 she may not be interested as he never bothered before.

You can’t force him unfortunately

True, but is it unreasonable for me to think this just shows his utter lack of interest in dd?

Keep up the once a week face to face and review again in a few months

The good thing if that you've offered this. You can't do more than that.

Most 18 month old aren't going to actively engage and it doesn't mean he isn't interested based on that alone.... but perhaps combined with other behaviours, you may come to this assumption.