To ask for tips on how to stem the flood of "Like" ?

[TrickyD]

DGD, is, like, nearly 13 and continually punctuates her sentances with, like, "Like" .
Has anyone had any success in discouraging this irritating habit? We have tried leaving a pile of coins and deducting one for every "like" with no success. I am reluctant to up this to a pile of fivers.

She will grow out of it.

Get her to record herself talking.
It will highlight to her how frequently she does it, and how annoying it can be.
I highly doubt she's doing in intentionally, so she needs to recognise it herself.

Isn't this just a normal teenage thing? :o She probably doesn't even notice she's doing it! I say grit your teeth and be glad she talks to you at all.

And yes she will grow out of it. I did.

Ahh leave her be! I'm sure she won't talk that way forever. It's not harming anyone.

Mine start every sentence with "wait". Wait for what???

Pick your battles. This is a teenage thing, she won't talk like it forever. Let it go. And as a pp said, be glad she talks to you, many don't.

I'm not sure there's much you can do about it. Language changes, especially English, and 'like' is just the latest in a series of verbal fillers that people who are still getting used to talking among adults use to break up their sentences. Similar to 'umm' or 'you know'. It's actually a sign of variable self-confidence, which is the hallmark of being a teenager if you think about it a certain way.

It's a bit tribal; they do it because all their friends do it, and a lot of the TV shows they watch feature it too. They do grow out of it, but it takes a few years. My cousin's son was terrible for this when he was 13-15, but now he's 19 he has a much more fluid way of speaking again, as he's grown in confidence.

My 6yo does this. When I have the energy I’ll count up the likes and tell her how many times she said it during a partIcular anecdote. Seems to shock her into being more careful for around 5 minutes. Sad thing is I’m picking it up now too!

Mine does this too and I let it go over my head.

The more you make a big deal of it the worse you'll react when you hear another 'like'. You're just going to have to accept it's part of teen speak and that it'll soon change to something else.

And be relieved if this is your biggest problem

Use it yourself, like, all the time, like... she'll soon stop, like!

Every time she says it stop her and ask if she means "like as in similar to" or "like as in something she enjoys?" I used to do this with my daughter, mainly to amuse myself and to annoy her. However, she will grow out of it when she realises how daft it sounds

My parents never let me talk like this when I was a teenager -they pulled me up on it every single time. It was very annoying for a few days but I learnt very quickly to have a formal way of talking to "respected grown ups" such as parents & teachers and a more informal way of talking to my friends

Ask "Like what?" with this face . Derail the conversation if you have to by constantly asking "like what?"

My 3yo sometimes does this! As in "red is like my favourite colour". I can't think where she's picked it up from. It's cute just now, though that will probably wear off soon

It seems to be in a lot of Disney films. I agree - knock it on the head by using it yourself. Generously :)

My 11 year old DD also says "wait, what?" it's annoying but I'm sure she'll grow out of it

It isn't cute in anyone, it is as nails on a blackboard to me

Just because the thickly made up use it all the time does not make it right.

Mine say this. Sometimes, I say 'is it Like you're favourite or is it your favourite?' I get the eye roll/tut when I do though.

'What's up, homie' rather than 'hello Mum' is more annoying.

Start using 'like' yourself, a GP using it will make her stop it pronto

Thank you everyone for your replies. Two schools of thought - 1) leave her alone she will grow out of it, 2) try imitation or similar. Maybe a bit of both? Yes, we are lucky that she talks to us and quite right, purplelass, let's hope all problems are no bigger.

Her DB, two years older, does not and has not ever done it. It seems more of a girl thing.

Bloody irritating though. "A few years" PlausibleSuit ? Aagh

DS does this. He’s 8. He’s actually not particularly articulate and struggles slightly with expressing himself so I don’t pick him up on it as I think it would hold him back but it drives me bonkers. He can easily use like 5 times in one sentence. I’m hoping it will drop away as he gets more fluent in speech.

My very articulate First class degree holding 22 yo ds does this and it drives me mad. He gets stopped mid sentence and asked to rephrase without the use of the word 'like' unless he is proposing to make a comparison or indicate that he is partial to something.

I tell him that it will piss interviewers off as well, and to think about the impression it makes if he is deemed unable to string a sentence together.

Electric collar like you can get for dog training? Start saying 'rad' and 'way cool' and other such cringeworthy words and phrases until they stop?

Ohhh dear. I wrote a paper on “like” for my sociolinguistics module at uni 16 years ago. I find it fascinating that people hate it! I would say that I’m not so sure that she will grow out of it as there are people I work with now (same age as me) who use it frequently!