For banning my child from watching American tv

[Luna87]

I've noticed so many young children talking in strong American accents lately, I'm not going to lie - it really annoys me.

AIBU for banning my 2.5 year old from watching anything American? I prefer her to watch CBeebies so she doesn't pick up the accent. DH thinks I'm being too harsh

I have, and I've banned YouTube. My kids are older, but my son is ASD so tends to repeat things how he hears them. The American twangs was driving me mental so it's been banned.

I also work in a school and its sad to see how many kids have an accent and use American words too

Not at all unreasonable. I hate that Americanisms are working their way into British language.

Also with noting that many British children think that the number for the emergency services is 911 due to TV.

What are you talking about?

Some cbeebies and cbbc programmes are co-produced by Canadian TV companies. Would you accept a Canadian accent or is it just American ones

Good question. Americans and Canadians accents can sound very similar to each other that even they can’t tell who is from which one but know they’re North American. It’s usually the assumption that “all” Americans are loud and brash that seemingly makes the difference from Canadians.

Anti-American? Linguistic xenophobia?

Also pay-cheque and parking lot is creeping in.

"Pay-cheque" is not American English.

Mumsnet really is something else.

I've always preferred American TV to British and at 43 years old I've successfully managed to retain my English accent. I bloody love most of the US accents though. Is there a particular one you don't like, as they aren't all the same.

We discovered you could watch Paw Patrol with British voices. Still shit but not nearly as annoying

I keep being asked if my DD is watching Cocomelon yet. No effing way for the same reason. Even American nursery rhymes are banned because the wheels on the bus should be going round all day long not all through the town.

Yep.my son was the same ,he preferred Disney + and cartoonite,etc
Although he did think we paid in Dollers,when he was about two.

Thank you @Needmorelego and @CarolinaInTheMorning

There’s no way this thread would still be around if the OP was worried about her child picking up a Scottish accent or a West African accent. It’s disappointing that this sort of prejudice is encouraged on mumsnet. Disappointing @mnhq

Imitation is the finest form of flattery. What’s wrong with an American accent? As others have said, would you be so outraged if your child picked up an Irish accent or a Swedish accent, for example? I find it pretty offensive, as an American.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jul/19/peppa-pig-american-kids-british-accents

My son loves Bluey. But now money is "dollar bucks" 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️. And not all british tv is better. You don't want your child to end up a whiny brat like Bing!!

YABU to be so anti American.

YABU to have your child watching what I assume is Nickelodeon or Disney - there's nothing but dreck there.

Children pick up annoying tics everywhere, and out of the blue. You need to chill or the rest of your child's childhood years will be he'll for you. Then when they start picking up teen speak you'll look back fondly on this American accent phase and wonder why you got your knickers in such a twist.

Oh yes indeed!

But not surprising, anti American sentiment is rife on here.

My teenager doesn't even watch that much TV but uses American grammar. In 20 years' time British English will have died out.

And apparently the irony of British people complaining about American English seeping into British usage is completely lost on a great many posters here.

Do any of you know why English is so widely spoken world wide? From Scotland to Ireland to Wales, North America, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, various parts of Africa...

This FFS. If you'd started the same thread but about a Brummie or Scouse or Welsh accent, it would be rightly deleted.

If you child is picking up an accent from TV they are watching far too much! A 2 year old could easily watch none. Or maybe a little bit every few days. Maybe talk to them more.

We can tell the difference. There are even very distinctly different accents within the United States.

I know that. I’m American, myself.

Honestly, what a post to create.

My European born British kids speak several languages, and in English they can often sound American. I find it charming. The same with their friends when they all switch to English - and none of them have stepped foot on American soil. It's obviously a transatlantic sound from movie and music influences.

Maybe just don't let your kid watch so much TV they pick up accents....

Is it only American TV that annoys you or do you scramble to turn off cbeebies whenever Bluey or Puffin Rock comes on?

We're scottish and Irish with American family. My kid sounds like her scottish nursery pals as that's mainly who she interacts with, not the telly.

Saying that, I did ban Peppa pig. 90% was because it's absolute shit, but honestly 10% is because I can't bear the accents of the pig family.