Baby voice driving me nuts

[MigraineMonday]

DS is 6 and has made a best friend at school, a lovely little boy, let's call him Tom. I've encouraged the friendship and they are inseparable.

Tom is lovely but he's the youngest in a family of 4 and is quite babied. To the delight of his own family, he speaks in a faux baby voice, fair enough.

However, whenever DS spends time with him, he picks up on the baby voice and I HATE it. Words cannot go it justice. It's high pitched, fake lisping, fake broken words, whiny baby voice. It's not cute and it makes me want to rip my ears off. When DS has had other children round to play, they sometimes say "why are you talking like that" but I think as his best friend gets such a good reception to it, he just continues.

I'm obviously not going to discourage his friendship over something this silly. I remind him incessantly 'no baby voices at home, mummy doesn't like them' but he just. Won't. Stop.

Should I rip off my ears? Is there anything else I can do?

Completely ignore him when he's using it. Say once you can't understand what he's saying then ignore him until he speaks in his normal tone.

My DC does this after being with certain children.

I just say "sorry, I cant understand you when you speak like that"

It seems to work.

Tell him every time you can't understand him when he speaks like a baby and keep saying that until he speaks normally. And hope his friend grows out of it soon!

Tell him off he reacts to sprak like a baby you're happy to treat him like one, then list all the things he likes to do that babies can't do.

*if he wants to speak like a baby... Sorry phone screen is playing up, should've double checked before posting

Sometimes I say "I will book you in at nursery in the baby class & do you want me to get you some nappies when I go shopping?"

Im horrible though

Duct tape.

@Freetogo not horrible, perfectly reasonable. The only thing worse is an adult female speaking in a baby voice, especially to a partner 🤮

I used to say "Use your own voice!" and it seemed to work as dd got the idea that it wasn't actually hers.

I'd stop him playing with Tom till he stopped. Tom sounds super irritating, other kids are picking up on it and your ears ate close to bleeding, fuck that, "Oi ds, speak like that one more time and you can forget Tom coming over again" if he does then cancel the next play date, stick to your guns.

It won't be silly when every other child in the class feels like you do about it and the only friend your ds has is annoying little Tom and his irritating voice

Nooooo i would have definitely discouraged that friendship on the basis of the baby voice alone.

I can’t bear Tom from your post alone.