how strict are you with babytalk with the under 5s?

[Butterpie]

My 3yo DD1 has started being silly with how she talks- eg saying "What mummy doing?" instead of "what are you doing, Mummy?"

She has been speaking properly for months now- she gives me a little sly look when she does it too, to see how I react. Up to know I have just been replying correctly, like I used to do when she was first learning, but should I be doing something else?

She has a baby sister, but she can't talk yet, so no idea where this has come from. Unless she is trying to be babyish...

I would guess that she is trying to be your baby, and if I were you I would indulge her a little for now.

Though I have to admit that I speak pretty sharply to my 5yo when she does this, as it grates on my nerves quite irrationally.

Ah... My DD (2.10) has been doing this a bit lately too. I just ask her if she's a tiny baby; she either says "No, I'm a big girl" and speaks properly or says "Yes, goo goo, gah, gah". If it's a "Yes", I pick her up and hold her like a baby and say "Ah my tiny baby..." and cuddle and kiss her lots. That way we both get a giggle out of it but she soon gets fed up of being cuddled like a baby and insists she's a big girl again. Not sure if this will work for you but it seems to work for us (plus I get a sneaky cuddle in).

My DS1 does this too,he is nearly six! Like WYMAY said it GRATES on me so much.Trying to ignore...not easy.

If I was dealing with a 3yo with a new baby sister, I would assume it was just a natural phase of regression and go along with it.

DS2 used to do this until 6. The motivation was to get attention away from DS1 usually.

He used to do it at at school too to get the teachers attention including occasisonally faking illness/tiredness to get a cuddle and a sit on the teachers knee if he didnt fancy doing any work.

Like woopsidaisy we found it incredibly grating. Used to tell him off and ask if he wanted to go to bed like a baby to have a nap while we did something nice with his brother. We used to tell his teachers what he was up to as well.

That sorted him....eventually.