About this baby voice?

[hippoherostandinghere]

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?

I've had years of telling ds 'normal voice' whenever the baby voice comes out. Luckily he can revert straight back. It's something he only does with close family, mainly habit and I think it's when he wants something or if he doesn't want to do something . Used to drive me insane but I really wouldn't do anything until he used a normal voice.
My dbrother, same age as ds, (11) uses a constant whine voice with his parents and I mean constant. He argues about everything as well and has tantrums. When I've looked after him when my dad and his wife have gone his normal voice reappears and his behaviour is lovely. It is something saved for family mainly. His mum and I have talked about it and I said about the normal voice insistence but I think she got a bit worn down by the whole thing and gave up.

* eos* what a nightmare that would drive me insane. Have they been referred to a SALT? I wouldn't know what else to do in that situation .

DD2 (aged 5) is doing this and it's imensely irritating I agree! I am pretty certain she doesn't do it at school, or to anyone else apart from us. Her big sister did it too when she was 5, including for practically all of one holiday in France which was soooo annoying! Now ironically DD1 is massively irritated by DD2 doing it!

You just have to ignore, or only answer her / do what she is asking you for if she speaks in a normal voice. DD1 did grow out of it (she's now 8) so fingers crossed DD2 will soon!

Gosh that's reminded me. My DD2 (now 18) used to do that and it was strange as we never used baby voices talking to her even when she was a baby. We did tell her not to do it, and ignored her when she did it, but I'm not sure it made much difference. She just grew out of it. I can't remember how old she was now - perhaps 8 or so.

Hmm. I did this as a kid.

The thing is that kids are very aware of their lessening "cuteness" as they get older. This might be her way of recapturing that. The more you ignore her and tell her off, the worse she'll probably become.

My whole family endlessly told me off and "don't use a baby voice" was a constant refrain. I have no doubt I was irritating, but the shaming didn't help.

Result? I stopped using a baby voice as a kid... and now use one as an adult with my partner. Just in day-to-day life. I know this is probably beyond weird. I kind of wish my parents had just left me to it and not made such a big deal about it, because I feel like it was repressed and now it comes out for my poor husband :-/

My nephew is 4 and he does it when he thinks his baby sister is getting more attention than him. His parents ignore him until he uses his proper voice.

Just be thankful she'll probably grow out of it. I've got a 30-year old friend who still does it!

INXS definately has it with the lessening "cuteness" thing.

When my DD was 3-4 she did this everytime I picked her up from nursery. She (private day nursery so she was with younger children)
She was an early talker and spoke very clearly which made it more annoying.

She also did it when around adults she didn't know. Like if at the park and another mum spoke to her.

She told me that it was because the younger ones got more attention.
Same reason she also did the fake crying and tantrums. Because babies cry and get what they want apparently.

Quite common if they have a younger sibling too.

My just turned 5 year old does this a lot - I just ignore him! I think he does it when he finds something difficult - a bit like a mask I suppose.

Some good thoughts there on trying to retain cuteness or attention seeking. I'm trying the ignoring method and it's working well.

She is very cute. She's tiny and the smallest in her class despite being the oldest. I'm trying to focus on her being the oldest in her class and showing what a big girl she is but maybe it's having the opposite effect.

This is reminding me of my housemate at uni. Big square guy (rugby team, bouncer). Used to pick up the phone and grunt "Yullow". We knew his girlfriend was on the other end when his voice then went up 5 octaves

If it's any consolation my 5 year old has hit the poo phase and infected his younger brother. He's also developed an annoying habit of rigidly staring out of the car window to the side and refusing to look in any other direction.

Oh god, yes...people talk to pets using a daft sloppy voice too..

Soppy!

"This is reminding me of my housemate at uni. Big square guy (rugby team, bouncer). Used to pick up the phone and grunt "Yullow". We knew his girlfriend was on the other end when his voice then went up 5 octaves grin"

This is quite sweet!

I think ignoring isn't the way forward actually. She's asking for attention - give it to her.

Sorry - last sentence to the OP.

It's ok to give or kids what they want. You are not "rewarding" he bad behaviour by giving them attention IMO. Children aren't dogs