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'I done'... Aaaaaaaggggghhhhhh

65 replies

MrsSiba · 11/01/2019 14:33

I have tried to teach my daughter to talk properly and have taught her correct grammar from the start. In particular saying I DID something rather than I DONE something. It is a personal bugbear when I hear people getting this wrong. However where we live in the north west it seems everyone says 'I done' or 'we done' . Yesterday as we were leaving nursery her lovely teacher said, 'Did you tell your Mummy what we done today?' I winced inwardly.

I know it won't bother some people and I probably sound like a right a snob but if the teachers speak like this the kids will too!

I would like advice on how and if to tackle it. I am happy with the nursery in other ways and my DD is happy and learning well. Should I mention it? What do I say? Should I just leave it alone but continue to correct at home?

Dd is 3yrs 9 months so this is pre-school.

OP posts:
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Thesearmsofmine · 11/01/2019 14:37

She’s 3, it’s a normal for a 3 year old to say that, she will get it as she grows older.

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potatoscone · 11/01/2019 14:46

It's not normal for a nursery teacher though Hmm

OP, is she an actual teacher? Or an early years practitioner?

It's awful and I wouldn't be happy with that at all. It would definitely be something I brought to the attention of whoever is in charge, if that is the teacher then who is higher up?

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niceberg · 11/01/2019 15:11

It’s annoying but my guess is your DD will drop it when she starts school and (hopefully) has a teacher who uses correct grammar. If your daughter is sensitive enough to language to pick this up from nursery she’ll hopefully switch back easily.

My DD1 had a teacher in year 5 whose accent (more of a grey area than grammar, but it’s an interesting example) includes glottal stops and pronouncing ‘th’ as ‘f’ eg ‘something’ becomes ‘somefing’. DD started doing the same very quickly when she started with this teacher, but has switched back to her old way of speaking just one term in with a different teacher.

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MrsSiba · 11/01/2019 16:41

Thank you for your responses, glad it's not only me.

It was an EYP.

And now daughter has started to say somethink.... Cue more correcting from me!

It's taking everything in me to keep quiet. I think I may just keep an eye on it for now.

Happily DD remembered to say I did so as pp said may change once older.

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formerbabe · 11/01/2019 16:43

I wouldn't say anything.

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AnotherOriginalUsername · 11/01/2019 16:52

I'd probably send the nursery an note regarding their grammar use. Probably constructed from an assortment of letters cut out of a newspaper.

Grammar pedant, me? Never!

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emandems30 · 11/01/2019 16:55

I had this in my nursery... same area so obviously a common issue up North. I hated it but didn’t complain. Children are now in school and don’t say ‘we done this today’ etc. As long as you correct her every time she says it she will get it

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Redlocks28 · 11/01/2019 16:55

A lot of the TAs in our school and the nursery staff in the local pre school say ‘we done’ or ‘we was’-it is painful to listen to!

The teachers don’t though, I have to say.

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Aaaahfuck · 11/01/2019 16:56

This isn't her only opportunity to learn correct grammar. I'd leave it.

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DarkStorm · 11/01/2019 16:58

‘It’s awful and I wouldn't be happy with that at all.’.

Hmm Bit dramatic.

Just correct your child when she is at home.

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SoyDora · 11/01/2019 16:59

I completely understand.
DD2’s key worker at pre school says ‘bockle’ instead of bottle.

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SardineJam · 11/01/2019 16:59

We had all sorts of awful grammar examples from nursery especially 'you was', so every single time both DSs said 'you was' etc we corrected them and had them say 'you were' etc, it sinks in eventually but you have to persevere!

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reallybadidea · 11/01/2019 17:03

My DH, despite being highly educated and working in a professional job, has pretty terrible grammar. All of our dc have perfect grammar - you just have to gently correct them until they're old enough to remember. Helps when they start reading too.

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doodlejump1980 · 11/01/2019 17:05

My boys’ key worker says “how are yous today?” when they arrive. It makes my teeth itch.

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Babdoc · 11/01/2019 17:14

I sympathise, OP.
DD1 even had a high school English teacher who was actually American. This woman “corrected” DD’s written English from “He jumped off the rock” to “He jumped OFF OF the rock”!
Fortunately, DD knew better, and I had a quiet word with the head of department.
It’s very tricky, because younger children sometimes idolise their primary teachers and think they cannot possibly be in error. DD, aged 5 at the time, had one who tried to insist that lettuce was “lettice”, and was most reluctant to be corrected by a 5 year old!
I wish these teachers would check their own grammar and spelling if they know they’re weak, before they risk failing successive classes of children in building basic literacy.

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DarkStorm · 11/01/2019 17:21

Please cut childcare staff a bit of slack. They work their balls off taking good care of your children all day, usually for minimum wage.

As long as the person is warm, caring and nurturing towards my DC then a bit of less-than-perfect grammar wouldn’t worry me.

But that’s just me.

‘How are you’s today?’ makes your teeth itch? The worker was being nice and polite.

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WhirlieGigg · 11/01/2019 17:24

I’m afraid I’d be rude and would ask them to use correct grammar in front of the children as they’re supposed to be setting an example.

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recently · 11/01/2019 17:26

It wouldn't bother me - that's not the only grammar she's going to hear and it's only "wrong" if you compare it to standard English.

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insancerre · 11/01/2019 17:27

Reminds me of my favourite joke
Knock knock
Who’s there?
I done up
I done up who?

😜

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silver1977 · 11/01/2019 17:28

Very dramatic. There is plenty of time for your daughter to be taught grammar at school. Continue to correct at home but I think mentioning this to the pre-school is a step too far. Presumably she is leaving in July anyway, is it really worth causing any ill-feeling with the staff that sound lovely and caring and look after your DD well?

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AnnaMariaDreams · 11/01/2019 17:29

I would say anything to school but I would (and have!) to DC.

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Dimsumlosesum · 11/01/2019 17:31

She's only 3.

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silver1977 · 11/01/2019 17:33

I'm afraid your DD will hear many examples of poor grammar throughout her life, they need to learn what is correct and what is not, presumably at school when the time is right.

Unfortunately grammar was not taught as well as it is now so there are many grown-ups that will 'fail'!

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Buddyelf · 11/01/2019 17:34

My 2 dds go to a breakfast club and the EYPs there have appalling grammar but I just smile and correct my girls at home if they pick anything up. I’ve heard ‘we done’ ‘I seen ya’ etc.

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icannotremember · 11/01/2019 17:35

I don't expect every single thing you say would be universally agreed to be perfect: I am sure your accent would to some people sound awful, that there will be phrases you use that some people would hate their children to copy, that you do not always enunciate perfectly, that you use colloquialisms, etc. My mother, for example, would think that your use of 'kids' was better suited to goats than to children and would think you sounded as common as you clearly think the nursery staff are.

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