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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

About this baby voice?

39 replies

hippoherostandinghere · 18/08/2016 14:47

DD is 5. Her speech has always been great, she has a very clear normal speaking voice. But she insists on using a baby voice all the time and it's driving me mad. She can speak so well but spends most of her time speaking in this silly voice and I don't know what to do to get her to stop.

I've told her off, I've put her in time out. I've told her I can't understand her when she talks like a baby. Nothing works.

She's going to p1 now in Sept and I'd hate to think she use that voice in school when she talks so well. She insists she didn't use it last year in nursery but I'm not there to check if she did or not.

Any bright ideas?

OP posts:

Gottagetmoving · 18/08/2016 14:50

Ignore it.
You are giving it a lot of attention. It will go away sooner if you just take no notice.

dancemom · 18/08/2016 14:50

Ignore it. Ignore every single word she says in that voice and just repeat "I can't understand you" only respond to her normal voice.

KoalaDownUnder · 18/08/2016 14:51

My niece did this and it drove my sister utterly bonkers. Unfortunately, she did it for years (sorry).

Not constantly (thank fk) but would switch back and forth into baby voice, usually when she thought she wasn't getting enough attention.

The good news is that she eventually grew out of it. Mind you, she is 14 now.

KoalaDownUnder · 18/08/2016 14:51

Oh yes, my sister did exactly what dancemom said, come to think of it!

acasualobserver · 18/08/2016 14:52

I did this, at about that age, whenever I felt a bit shy or uncertain - especially meeting new people. My parents did comment on it and encouraged me to speak properly but, in the end, I simply grew out of it.

Elbekind · 18/08/2016 14:54

My cousins did this when I was a child and drove us all batty! We (me and my 4 siblings) just completely ignored them when they spoke like that and they grew out of it. My Grandma however, used to constantly tell them off for it and that seemed to do very little.
Their mum seemed to actively encourage it

Original poster

hippoherostandinghere · 18/08/2016 14:57

Oh goodness it's common isn't it. Why would anyone encourage it . I'm giving it too much attention aren't I? I'll try igoring it and only respond when she uses her normal voice.

OP posts:

TheWitTank · 18/08/2016 14:59

Agree with other posters -ignore completely until she uses her "proper" voice. Explain what you are going to do and why and then stick to it (make sure the rest of the family are in on the idea). As soon as it gets no reaction it will stop becoming appealing.

duskonthelawn · 18/08/2016 14:59

It's normal for children to experiment with different ways of talking (I used to pretend I was an old woman at that age, complete with glasses on a chain and a hobbling walk). Let her role play a bit, just reply as if she's spoken to you normally and ignore it. It's not doing any harm and once she gets to school she'll probably be desperate to be more grown up and it'll stop.

lemonzest123 · 18/08/2016 15:02

NOT saying this is at all the case here but I distinctly remember my BF from when I was very small doing this. When we were by ourselves she would speak normally, but as soon as an adult came on the scene she started using a 'baby voice'. As such, whenever I told anyone that she'd been pinching me and stealing my hair ribbons no one ever believed me and said "Oh X wouldn't ever do that, she's so sweet and shy!"

Again, not accusing your DD; just and anecdote! x

Gottagetmoving · 18/08/2016 15:14

Could be worse,...There are grown women who do this. I have worked with some over the years.

FATEdestiny · 18/08/2016 15:26

I know a grown woman who uses baby-voice with her "Daddy" all the time. Only when speaking to her Dad tho.

Intensely irritating

I would deal with it in the same way as whinging whiney-voice that my children use: "I will reply when stop using a whiney/baby voice and speak normally"

ArseholesOnToast · 18/08/2016 15:26

A woman who sits opposite me in work talks with a lisping babyish voice when she's on the phone.

It irritates me so much I usually have to go and make a cup of tea. She only does it on the phone - her normal voice is quite manly and she swears like a navvy. Very odd.

Original poster

hippoherostandinghere · 18/08/2016 15:31

faints at the though of grown women doing this

I can see what you're saying Lemon, that much have been so frustrating for you. She mostly does it though at home or at her Grandparents house. It's almost like she's done it for so long it's a bad habit she can't shake.

OP posts:

eosmum · 18/08/2016 15:34

My niece did this at around 4, like an Alvin and the chipmunks voice, SIL ignored it, treated it as normal thinking she'd grow out of it, and she's now 10 and still fucking using it. When she talks she scrunches up her face and does this whiney sing song talking, drives the whole family demented. it's a habit now and she can't seem to break it. Sorry don't know how you'd fix it but do something my poor SIL is so sorry she didn't do something at the start.

Original poster

hippoherostandinghere · 18/08/2016 15:38

Not what I wanted to hear at all eos

OP posts:

Missgraeme · 18/08/2016 15:41

I just tell my kids sorry I can't hear u when u talk like that and walk away. If what they need to say is important they talk properly soon enough. I would be telling her kids at school will think she is a baby if she talks like that in class!!

eosmum · 18/08/2016 15:50

I'm really sorry hippo I was debating telling you but my SIL regrets so much not dealing with it at the time I'd hate for you to do the same. I think that ignoring until she stops using the voice sounds the way to go. Just if anyone says she will stop on her own, she may not.

kurlique · 18/08/2016 15:58

Definitely time for no response, would drive me potty too

klmnop · 18/08/2016 16:01

I wouldn't punish it as it's probably having the opposite effect than intended. I wouldn't ignore her when she uses it though, I'd just respond normally. My daughter is the same age and plays with all kind voices, baby voice, American accent. I don't make a big deal out of it. She'll grow out of it

AnneGables · 18/08/2016 16:13

My ds is the same age and him and his friends do it all the time, it drives me mad. I ignore or say I can't understand him until he talks normally. Seems like a common phase.

This too shall pass (she says hopefully).

WilLiAmHerschel · 18/08/2016 16:17

I have a friend who does this. I remember asking her why she was speaking in that stupid voice, one of the first times I heard it when we were both aged 12. She's 30 and mostly better, but occasionally reverts back , when she is talking to a man usually. Actually some times she talks in an American voice too.

GingerLDN · 19/08/2016 13:31

I can't stand when people do this especially grown-ups. Actually it gives me the shivers. I don't know what you should do, but hope she grows out of it soon I can imagine it's driving you crazy! Hippo you've got me singing I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas thanks for that

retainertrainer · 19/08/2016 13:36

Oh god,I talk to the cat in a baby voice it must really piss her off! I don't know why I do it

Misselthwaite · 19/08/2016 13:39

This has just made me realise that DD has stopped talking in her babyish voice. For a while she was doing all our heads in. I did tell her off and lots of I can't hear you when you talk like that. She's 4 and its tailed off over the past couple of months.

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