My 13 year old son answers me in as fewer words as possible or uses body language to save him the trouble- is this normal???

[Mumof3wifeof1]

What can I do with him???

Freecycle. Ebaying is apparently illegal.

Grunt back

Or Gumtree.

If it reassures you my darling DD's were taken by aliens around the same time and we had grunting & hormones galore.

They give them back in a few years and they really are improved I must say...

It's normal.

Don't worry - he's not gone forever. You'll have a nice conversation in about 6 years.

Now is the time to invest in shares in Lynx.

Yep. Totally normal. My DSS came back to us last year at 17. Though he now talks to us with headphones in his ears ....

This is officially known as "the grunting phase".

It will only last a couple of years and then he will rediscover the power of speech and enter "the lynx phase". This is easier on the ears but not so good on the olfactory senses.

It's no better with girls. They can actually still speak at 13 but their vocabulary becomes limited to set phrases such as "you can't make me" and "what are you going to do about it?", "whatever", and the main one "God, mum, you're SO embarrassing".

It will pass. My 17 year old is not too bad.

Lol!! It's as though he allows himself a quota of words per day and once he usEd them up then its hard luck. Complete sentences are only available on weekends

Normal
Not fun
Apparently it isn't for ever
The trouble with eBay or free cycle or gum tree is nobody will actually want them

He will use a complete sentence when he wants money.

Grumpy. Kevin and perry. One syllable answers. Grunts?

Assumed this was normal. YABU

Ever since Scarlett Yoof met his lovely girlfriend, he has spoken politely in sentences, is helpful, kind and generally adorable. He's almost 17
YY to the Phases of Yoof

Lol omg so glad this is normal. We already have the lynx addiction

Music posey so funny- me and my 15 year old dd had argument on holiday due to me waving arms in air while dancing, due the embarrassment I caused her (in front of no one she actually knew or would ever see again) I had to reluctantly agree to stop waiving arms in air .

OP - Just hang in there. One day, he will turn into the sort of son who actually rings you up for a chat :)

DS1: "Ma. Oi. Ma. There's no food"

Such an exchange counts as a long conversation in our house!

I actually read these out to him (bit of a gamble I know) .....,and something's changed.... For the better I have to say. I mean , our conversations are never going to be chat show standard for quite a while, but he has completed some sentences, properly forming his words with his mouth..... And has laughed at my jokes.

time will tell whether this is really because he has a girlfriend.....

I've got three DS now all in their twenties - I remember this phase so well. Girls work like magic and even just having one around weaves a spell over the other boys who become pleasant and civilised in her company. Eventually they have all turned into lovely chaps who are great to have around.