Has anyone had their 3 yr old start babbling like a baby sometimes?

Kathy - posted on 07/15/2012

my 4yr old does it....espicially after my grandbabies have been here!!! lookin for attention i think :)

Angela - posted on 07/14/2012

ok, do you play on the swings/park with your daughter?? you do? big girls don't have fun in the park..lol. you should never try and stop her, but if it annoys you try and make it a game...see if you can make it less annoying for yourself. if she still speaks as properly as she ever did then it shouldn't be a problem, she should stop soon enough. if it is worrying you seek medical advice. :o)

Amy - posted on 07/13/2012

It is such a coincidence that I read this today, because my 2.5 year old son JUST started doing this 2 days ago! He was an early talker, and is a great talker...but there is a girl at daycare who is the same age as my son, and she has yet to say a real word. She babbles or talks "gibberish" nonstop! Two days ago, my son started doing the same thing occasionally. Like you, at first I thought it was funny, so I made the mistake of laughing...and now he does it more often. Only 2 days in and it's already driving me nuts!

Just like Olivia, Cherrish and DIanne said, I don't overreact to it; I just say something quietly like "Oh, you can use your big boy words now", "I'll talk with you when you use your words" or "you are talking like a baby when you are such a big boy now!" and kind of walk away from him, so he knows I mean it.

Good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 07/13/2012

Thanks a lot ladies for your great advice! :)

Dianne - posted on 07/13/2012

Hi Jennifer,
sorry for the late response to your question - I just could not reply from my blackberry browser so had to wait to get in front of my computer at work.
No don't babble back. What I do when Samuel babbles is give him a big hug because that is what he wants and then I hold him like a baby and sort of tease him in a nice way by saying "shampies must we get the big baby a bottie" and something like "aaawww must we send the boy to school tomorrow with his bottie because he is a big baby"
I promise within a few minutes your daughter will be telling you she is a big girl :)

Amanda - posted on 07/13/2012

My little girl is nearly 3 and my son is 4, they still do it on occassion.
I tell them they are a big girl/boy and they need to use their big girl/boy words.

I did ask the doctor at my sons 4 yr check up, they said it was perfectly normal behaviour and they grow out of it. They also ssaid they had seen kids older than my son doing it too so it wasn't a cause for concern at his age.

Cherish - posted on 07/12/2012

If she is just babbling when she is playing I would ignore it.If she asks for something I would saysay "use your big girl words"...
You can also try positive reinforcement when she is NOT doing it,say something like "I like how you are using your big girl words",tell dad when he gets home "she did not babble today!"(so she can over hear you of course.

My kids are 19,11 and 10 now,and 3 is soooo young! It may be annoying but it will pass,it is not a big deal :)

Olivia - posted on 07/12/2012

My son (two and a half) doesn't do this, but his older cousin (4, turning 5) does and it's SO annoying haha. Her parents think that she's picked it up from another girl at school who does it for attention... like she'll point to things and make baby noises or just generally babble in a whiny voice. Normally a firm 'Please use real words if you would like to talk to us' sorts it out pretty quickly, but apart from that they just ignore her until she stops. Seems pretty effective.

Maren - posted on 07/12/2012

When my kids babble or don't use proper words, I just tell them I don't understand what you are saying, we need to use our big girl/ boy words. Then they don't get what the want until they ask the right way.

Jennifer - posted on 07/12/2012

Thanks Dianne for replying. At least I know another child around her age does it (I sort of figured some did). We don't have a younger child yet, but I think you're right about her wanting attention. Can I ask if you're saying I should babble back to her and that might get her to stop it?

Dianne - posted on 07/12/2012

My 4yr old does it sometimes. I think it has to do with the fact that he wanted more attention as I was babbling to his baby brother.
I know you did not mention a younger sibling but perhaps your little girl is wanting the attention that we bestow on babies - do you have a baby near you in the family?
I know its annoying but endulge her I say - it will subside.