Tips for Video Chatting with Toddlers

Question: Hi, I am looking for some guidance on FaceTime calls that are appropriate for an 18-month-old toddler with a parent who is not in the same city.

Answer: Thanks for your question! FaceTime and other video chat apps are a great way to use technology to support caregiver-child relationships. Whether parents or family members are living far away due to split households, military deployment, work travel, hospitalization, incarceration, or just living far away from grandparents, video chatting regularly can help young children build and sustain important emotional connections. 

Surveys collected during the COVID-19 pandemic found that grandparents felt closer to their grandchildren when they had more frequent video chats. Even though it may feel awkward for children at first, the more frequently the video chats occur, the more enjoyable families are likely to find them. 

What can toddlers understand from video chat?

Around 18-24 months, toddlers can start to understand that what they see on a screen represents something in real life. That face on the screen is mom, dad, auntie, or grandpa! Don’t be surprised if they start off thinking that the other person is “inside the phone/tablet.” With enough repetition, they will start to learn that the other person is in their own home – it helps if their FaceTime partner can show them their surroundings and explain where they are.

Research shows that toddlers can learn new words when they talk to an adult through video chat, particularly an adult who smiles, responds and builds upon what the child says. 

Another important part of video chatting is joint visual attention – meaning that the child and adult on opposite sides of the screen are paying attention to the same thing. Joint visual attention through a phone is somewhat tricky, since video cameras on phones, laptops, tablets, and monitors are usually placed above the screen. Although research shows that infants only look at the screen for about 41% of a video chat, you can help by guiding the child’s attention (saying things like “oh look, dad is holding a snack!” or “can you see the funny face that grandma is making?”). Attention to video chat improves as children get older and have more experience interacting through the screen. 

Making the most out of FaceTime with your toddler:

• Plan a consistent time to video chat, for example, every night or week at the same time. Establishing a predictable routine is helpful for the child and will maintain the relationship with their other parent or family members more effectively.
• Make the video chat easier and more fun by linking it with another activity (e.g., call the other person during a mealtime, have them read the child a book, or always have the same toys nearby to interact with during the video chat).
• Make the video chat environment distraction-free – don’t have the TV playing in the background. Have the other parent or family members dismiss or mute other notifications.
• Try out some interactive activities! Some activities to do on-screen include peek-a-boo, sharing favorite toys, reading books, having dance parties, playing games, singing songs, or making funny noises. As the co-viewing parent, be sure to point and label anything you see on screen in the environment or that the other parent or family member does and describe what it means.
• If technical difficulties occur, explain what is going on to the child. Allow your toddler to take the lead with tech and family connections as they grow!

References

• Goodwin, C. (2022, February 10). Does FaceTime “count” as screen time for young children? Psychology Today. 
• McClure, E. R., Chentsova-Dutton, Y. E., Holochwost, S. J., Parrott, W. G., & Barr, R. (2018). Look At That! Video Chat and Joint Visual Attention Development Among Babies and Toddlers. Child development, 89(1), 27–36.  
• Myers, L. J., LeWitt, R. B., Gallo, R. E., & Maselli, N. M. (2017). Baby FaceTime: Can toddlers learn from online video chat? Developmental Science, 20(4). 
• Roche, E., Rocha‐Hidalgo, J., Piper, D., Strouse, G. A., Neely, L. I., Ryu, J., Myers, L. J., Mcclure, E., Troseth, G. L., Zosh, J. M., & Barr, R.. (2022). Presence at a distance: Video chat supports intergenerational sensitivity and positive infant affect during COVID‐19. Infancy, 27(6), 1008–1031.  
• Strouse, G. A., Troseth, G. L., O’Doherty, K. D., & Saylor, M. M. (2018). Co-viewing supports toddlers’ word learning from contingent and noncontingent video. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 166, 310–326. 
• Strouse, G. A., McClure, E., Myers, L. J., Zosh, J. M., Troseth, G. L., Blanchfield, O., Roche, E., Malik, S., & Barr, R. (2021). Zooming through development: Using video chat to support family connections. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 3(4), 552–571. 
• ZERO TO THREE. (2022, April 29). Five tips to make the most of video chats. 

Age: 0-2

Topics: toddler, FaceTime, video chat, screen time in early childhood

Role: Parent