# My 5 year old acts like a little baby.... Is this normal?!?



## Monkey03 (Sep 1, 2008)

I have a 5 year old son who acts, talks and whines like a 2-3 year old.
He has a couple close friends at his daycare who also do that.. He picked it up from his best friend, who also does it at home. I have spoken to the little boys mother and she said that she is trying to get home to stop. My son just started copying him a couple months ago and I think it was just funny to them, they all laugh and crack jokes when they talk together like that.
His friend has left the daycare a couple weeks ago but my son still talks and acts like that when he gets excited and hyper.

I am worried because starting this week he is going to a new school and daycare, and I do not want him to bring this to the school or daycare and the kids think he is really like this. He is a funny little boy who has a sense of humor but he thinks that being silly is the best way to make someone laugh. I feel bad and do not want him to act this way and no one like him.

Is this normal?? Will he out grow it and start to take to the other childrens attitudes and the way they are?? Any suggestions on ways of breaking this behavior and getting him to be HIMSELF!!


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## Heavenly (Nov 21, 2001)

I would just tell him that I can't understand him when he acts/talks like that and to come talk to me when he can be the big boy that I know he is. When my 5 year old whines I just tell her I don't understand her. She gets the hint pretty quickly.


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## harrietsmama (Dec 10, 2001)

That's kinda what I do, my kids always come home from Dad's very whiney. I truly can't understand them most of the time.


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## Parker'smommy (Sep 12, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heavenly* 
I would just tell him that I can't understand him when he acts/talks like that and to come talk to me when he can be the big boy that I know he is. When my 5 year old whines I just tell her I don't understand her. She gets the hint pretty quickly.

Ditto!

My 3 1/2 year old was talking like an 18 month old last night...pointing and yelling, "Wata! Wata!" It was very annoying and I think she thought she was being cute







. I kept saying, "What? I don't understand you?!" Finally she got it and said in her regular voice and vocabuary, " Can I have a drink of water please?" and I said, "OOOOOH!! Now I understand you....of course you may have a drink of water!"


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Fine, let them talk silly to one another if they want to- but you don't have to respond to it. "I'm ready to listen when you're ready to use your regular voice."


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## Monkey03 (Sep 1, 2008)

Thank you so much for all of your replies. I will take a bit of each into consideration. I usually do tell him that I do not understand and to speak to me in his big boy voice, usually he covers his mouth and giggles. He eventually corrects himself pretty quick... I just hope this is just a "phase"....


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## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

Moving to Childhood Years


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## TiffanyPartyOf6 (Sep 2, 2008)

My 5 year old did this until he started school. He started to do it again this weekend but I think it will stop during the week while he is in school. He has only been in school for 2 weeks now. He loves school. I think what it was for us is that at home he has a 3 yr old sister who doesn't talk, a 2 yr old brother, and a 7 month old brother. A lot of "babies". He wanted to be the baby. He really didn't know how to act. Now he is at school with children his age so he wants to be like them. My son is a follower though.

What did seem to work though was telling him that I couldn't understand what he was saying and if he spoke like a big boy, I could understand him. He would then repeat it in a big boy voice and I could understand and answer him.


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## nonnymoose (Mar 12, 2004)

My older son does it, too. His little brother speaks in sentences, but not clearly, and I guess he was in the wants-to-be-a-baby camp too. Nothing like having one's expressive, articulate preschooler suddenly start using one-word grunts to communicate.


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## peachweenie (Jul 29, 2007)

My 5-year old does babytalking too and I think he picked it up in his kindergarten class. Personally, I think it's kind of cute and I figure it's another thing that he will just have to grow out of.


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## meesa143 (Jul 3, 2007)

I have a 4 yo that started doing this a few weeks ago. I tell her to "use her big girl voice" and it usually does the trick. This is just my opinion, but I think it's a cry for attention. I also think it's annoying.


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## Lingmom (Apr 10, 2007)

My 4.5 yr old started this recently too. She'll come up to me and demand "BLANKY. BLANKY!" or "WATER WATER" or will begin pointing at something and making grunting noises. If I ask her to use a complete sentence, she'll do it. I don't know what's up with it... if nothing else, it's embarrassing.


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