To ask what accent your kids have?

Why would I think I dont have an accent? Or why would mumsnetters think every South eastern accent is posh?

I think I don't have an accent because I am used to how I speak and don't get around much tbh, I imagine a lot of people think they don't have an accent I've certainly seen Americans claim they don't have accents.

Not sure why so many people on here think every southern accent is posh. There's a clear difference between a posh accent and a general southern one and I've lived on the south coast for twenty years so I'd know.

In my partner's culture, everyone speaks with a certain accent regardless of where they are raised. The younger generations put on a local accent sometimes when speaking to their peers but their natural accent is the same as their parents.

Nobody has said that @Bankin People are merely pointing out there is no such thing as no accent or a neutral accent.

If you can't hear an accent, i'd imagine that it's because your children speak in the same way you do and the people around you do.

I said 'neutral southern' to describe mine and DD1's accent because we're clearly from the south of England, but without any of the obvious markers of which part of it. Having listened to a couple of clips, I think it's probably closest to SSBE.

@10speckledfrogs we are both English and living in NI, when did you find your the accent of your eldest started to change? My eldest is in pre-school and has recently been dropping his t’s and I’m hoping it’s the start of a little accent creeping in!

I know EVERYONE thinks this about themselves but I genuinely don't think I or my children have accents.

I genuinely don’t think most people believe they’ve no accent @Bankin. I think only people from certain areas or who have certain accents think this.

I’m also almost certain that when you speak you have an easily recognisable accent.

Why would anyone think this?

I remember when they said Prince Harry had an Estuary accent rather than speaking like the Queen, although now it probably has an American twang.

North London with 2x DS. I have a naice Berkshire British accent where I grew up, DH is from Europe and talks with an accent. Both DS talk cockney with their friends and then switch to naice British accent when talking with adults.

We are both from the north but daughter raised in SW London and certainly has a very southern accent!

I know EVERYONE thinks this about themselves but I genuinely don't think I or my children have accents.
Also why does everyone on Mumsnet think that everyone in the south east has a posh accent? There's a clear difference between a regular South eastern accent and a posh one? Don't get it.

Our children have the local south English accent ( unfortunately!) even though DP is from overseas and I have a strong regional accent.
They use phrases we use and certain word but accent wise … BBC news readers 😅

Yes! And that reminds me of a lady I worked with years ago who spoke with the local Essex accent like everyone else. But one day I was sitting at my desk and I could hear someone talking really fast in a strong Irish accent “yes mammy, I told him…”. I turned around and I couldn’t believe it, my colleague was on the phone (obviously to her mother) but was speaking with the strongest Irish accent I’ve ever heard. I just stared at her like 😲

Sorry *what. Not why

Why would you term BBC English?

Nowadays that's very varied. Eg. Dropped "g". BBC eye playuh.

My husband is a Yorkshireman, with a very heavy accent, I am from down south (apparently I have quite a posh accent)

Our children were a mix sometimes they sounded so Yorkshire I can barely understand them 😂 no offence meant to anyone it’s more they mumble and I swear I am going deaf

Other times they sound like me 🤷‍♀️

Since Year 5 ish (both now in secondary) I noted that they tried to speak like their friends losing the Yorkshire accent but it still comes out at home especially if they are having a chat with their dad.

Kids up to a certain age pretty much always pick up the accent of their peers, I.e the other kids at nursery or school. I think their accents easily change till they are about 7 or 8 (I read somewhere it's got to do with being able to write in a language though I forgot why). After that age their accent is unlikely to change massively.

Dh and me are from different countries (neither British) and both kids speak with the local accent. Ive seen the same with all our international friends' kids as well. No one picks up the accent of their parents

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I’m not sure about your friend, but I’m pretty sure pp would be very easy to place as British.

’Difficult to place’ accents usually mean generic Southern accents. Still doesn’t mean it’s ‘neutral.’

I was born in Cheshire moved to the midlands lived there for 18 yrs then off to North Yorkshire. My mum is Scottish my dad a scouser,both of my kids born in the midlands but moved when one was four and one and a half.

I’m Scottish, DH is English and DS speaks with a posh English accent. No idea where he got it from

Most peope code switch, my kids think it's hilarious how my accent changes as soon as I get on the phone to my Mum or my sister (but not to my brother who like me moved away). I'm Scottish but have lived in England for most of my adult life, still have a Scottish accent. The kids are teenagers and have slightly broader accents speaking to their friends than speaking to us. When they speak to us it's a more neutral accent.

ETA: they do say some farming terms in my local accent because that's the only place they hear them which is interesting.

I’m foreign but English speaking. Hubby is northern. We live in the south. Kids sound accent is southern with a few pronunciations the way I would say them. Of all the kids I know sort of like this they always sounds like the region they are brought up and not of either parent as that is what they are hearing most especially when they do to school.

I have not said that an accent is a bad thing. I did not pick up the accent from the town I grew up in.