Keeping contact

there = their!

ninathenana
I know you said you won't comment here again and I sense how hurt you are but I am hoping you might come back to look.

I'm a big WhatsApp advocate for staying in touch. If he could have a "smart" phone with WhatsApp (or similar) for no charge at all they could send him little funny photos, messages, and other "thinking of you" things. They shouldn't really be expecting a response I feel but should just regularly reach out gently to him. Who knows, maybe he'll send something back now and again...
As others have said, life for everyone in the family at the moment must be tough, and at 9 you are old enough to know a lot and understand much less.
I hope there is a way forward for you and your family.
X

He is 9!! 9!! lives in another dimension. My grandson is 8 and when i do the school run he hardly speaks and doesn't answer much. AND we adore one another. Please try not to pressureise this child. He's a little boy and completely unaware of effect of his actions on adults. I send funny cards to my grandhildren with a short note inside. You are all the grown-ups try some understanding and kindness.

I spent all my childhood at home with my parents whom I loved and who I knew loved me, but that didn't stop me from answering questions like, "What happened at school today?" with "Nothing." when I was nine.

A nine year old is trying to realise that he doesn't need to tell the grown-ups everything, but is having trouble sorting out what questions he does need to answer.

Could his parents not arrange with the boy's GPs that they phone at a time convenient to the GPs and child and use face time, so their son can see them as well as talk to them?

Sounds like a fairly typical 9 year old, it must be an old phone or he would probably be on it all the time. Many, many children are totally monosyllabic on the phone, however much they love the person on the other end. The parents must talk to the other Gps to see what can be worked out.

My grandsons dad used to be fuming when his phone calls and texts weren't answered.
He would ring my daughter, shouting "where is his phone?"
The reply, inevitably was "in his toy box with loads of other stuff he isn't interested in".

At 9 one of mine had zero interest in letters sent to her or speaking to people on the phone or skype (unless they were her age) but liked spending time with adult family/friends in person.

The other one loved all sorts of correspindence, always. But was more introverted in person and didnt like when the house was full of visitors and often wanted to go home if we were visiting others.

Yea it is normal! His parents need to get that THEY ARE THE ADULTS. You don't have an equal 2 way relationship with your children they are not your mates, you keep "giving" and communicating with them even when they withdraw or pull away as they become teens or tweens.

He sounds normal, the parents do not!

Also children respond very badly to being put on the spot.

As other posters have said, sending little messages that don't demand a reply go down much better and are more likely to get a response from a child of that age than questions etc.