Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that my 5 yo copying other kids is abnormal?

26 replies

user1495362060 · 12/08/2017 21:40

My 5yo really likes to copy the way other children talk and behave. He pickes the ones who talk differently from him (like have a speech impediment or talk in a really girly voice) and spends hours taking like them.

It annoys me to no end for some reason and I cannot stop myself from showing it. Like today I spent several hours with him talking in unnaturally high voice pronouncing his r's as w's and sucking his thumb. He explained he is copying X because he likes it. I ended up telling him off several times, and we are all having very unpleasant time because of this.
Since this started a few months ago, I'd say he spends half his time being someone else. I am really at a loss how to react to it and started wondering if it is just a phase or something pathological requiring perhaps professional attention? Does someone else's child behave in a similar way?

OP posts:
beedybeedybumbum · 12/08/2017 21:42

Sounds like he's the next Jon Culshaw!

It also sounds like he's 5.

Someone will be along in a minute to tell you there's something far wrong with him but I don't think there is.

Queenofthestress · 12/08/2017 21:43

Nope completely normal at that age Grin

Original poster
user1495362060 · 12/08/2017 21:48

Ok thanks Smile that's reassuring.

OP posts:
Phosphorus · 12/08/2017 21:50

Totally normal.

Just don't let him watch any Stampy Minecraft videos on YouTube.

PollyFlint · 12/08/2017 21:51

I think this is pretty normal, surely? Not saying all kids do it, but I don't think it's weird for a five year old.

Maybe he'll go on to be a brilliant actor when he's older, who knows
Whenever you hear actors interviewed about their life stories, they often say they started off mimicking other people and pretending to be different characters when they were kids.

Namechangetempissue · 12/08/2017 21:52

Very normal. Mine didn't do it, but I know quite a few from preschool who did! My friends son imitated adults and children constantly in front of the person which could be quite embarrassing for her!

Hotheadwheresthecoldbath · 12/08/2017 21:52

Mine drive me nuts pretending to be a cat ,as I remember it went on for months on and off.Youll look back with fondness when he's a teen!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 12/08/2017 21:54

My sister and I pretended to have a Scottish accent one summer, must've driven our mother mad. We fought over who would answer the next phone call so we could try out our accents.

neverhadanymarblestolose · 12/08/2017 22:32

My 5 year old has recently started putting on a baby voice and its incredibly irritating. I'm trying my best to ignore it as I know it'll just make her do it more if she realises how annoying I find it!

SkyWalker95 · 12/08/2017 22:38

He's at that age where they start to really understand other people have different minds and think differently. By mimicking them he is gaining insight into who they are and how they think and perceive the world. It's actually a great thing for developing empathy. If he speaks with a speech impediment for a day he'll learn how hard it is to have one and likely think twice before making fun of someone who had one.

FlakeBook · 12/08/2017 22:42

I didn't think it was abnormal but when my child was diagnosed with ASD one of the questions asked was whether they did this, which they did. My other children don't.

I would guess that in isolation it isn't anything to worry out but that as part of a bigger picture it could be.

blameitonthebipolar · 12/08/2017 22:43

Normal!!

mygorgeousmilo · 12/08/2017 23:20

Annoying, yes. Normal, yes.

Dontknowwherethelineis · 13/08/2017 07:06

My son (4) has spent the last week (since we saw Despicable Me 3) talking like a minion. When he isn't doing that he is copying his 2 year old brother - specifically the things he says wrong. Last year we went to visit a friend whose son said 'duce' instead of 'juice' and he started doing that, in associated baby voice. 'yellow' became 'lello' because someone he knows says it like that. All in baby voices. Really drives me nuts as just made him sound ridiculous (I saw other children at pre-school recoil from him when he was talking to them loudly in that voice and so it was upsetting).

embo1 · 13/08/2017 07:12

Bless him. It's more likely to stop if you ignore it, and you'll all be a lot happier.

MrsJayy · 13/08/2017 07:18

Totally irritating totally normal I think you should ignore some of it tbh he is getting attention because itannoys you. What i did when one of mine did it was say can you that in dd voice please and ignored the rest.

Cherrytart6 · 13/08/2017 07:25

It's normal! Redirect him to famous peoples accents on YouTube. Or accents from around Britain. There's space for fun!

MiaowTheCat · 13/08/2017 07:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SavoyCabbage · 13/08/2017 07:41

My friends child was taken off for an interview at an airport as she was speaking in an American accent at passport control and the rest of the family weren't. They asked her where she lived and she sad 'the US'.

Penny4UrThoughts · 13/08/2017 08:27

I have a rubbish memory, so I can't recall who it was, but I saw an interview with an actor who said he did exactly that when he was a kid. It's stood him in good stead.

AnUtterIdiot · 13/08/2017 08:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

justtowarm · 13/08/2017 08:35

As a child my younger brothers friend spent months "being a washing machine" that must have been fun for his mother!

swingofthings · 13/08/2017 08:41

My assertive confident DD announced when she was 5 that although we didn't go to church as her dad and I weren't not religious, she had decided to be a Christian because her teacher said she was!

She grew out of until she turned 12 and suddenly, she was talking, dressing, acting like her new girlfriends, totally losing herself in that behaviour. It drove me mad and I despair at how shallow she was. Again, she grew out of it after about a year and is now her very own person and proud of it.

eyebrowsonfleek · 13/08/2017 09:25

I think it's normal to notice and want to try out new accents. He may have noticed that doing it gets laughs and attention. (But needs to rein in the speech impediment impression just in case the person finds out and doesn't realise it's childish curiousity and not malicious.

Do you do voices when reading stories? It's the same as that imo.

junebirthdaygirl · 13/08/2017 09:35

My ds was like that. He always seemed to take in the mannerisms and accents of those he met. One day with another child or adult and he was acting just like them. He is brilliant at acting although just for fun not professionally. He always had the lead in school plays etc. At the moment he is on his first grown up visit to the states. We were just saying he will come back acting like a full blown American and it will take him a few days to revert to himself. We just laugh. Its his personality. He does have an amazing ability to fit in with any tupe of people at the drop of a hat . So its all good!!