Son Is Mimicking Another Kids Voice

Updated on February 24, 2010
A.M. asks from Los Alamos, CA
3 answers

My son is 6 and has an identical twin brother. He is doing the weirdest and most annoying thing, changing his voice. It first started in preschool at the age of 4. There was only one other boy in their preschool class and he happened to have a lisp/speech impediment and talked like a baby, BAD! My son, began sounding like this little boy. It was a very strange thing to hear and irritated my husband and I to no end. Well, the boys attended different schools the next year so we didn't have to encounter that again....or so we thought. Now 2 years later, in kindergarten their best friend talks a little different. And now my son is mimicking that. I have had many conversations with him about what he is doing, and that he needs to speak like himself and no one else. But it is still happening. He says it is because he likes his friend. His twin brother does not do this, even tho they play with this boy equally. And he even notices it. It is the most bizarre thing to hear your child sound like someone else. I really love this friend of theirs and have nothing against him or the way he speaks, but it is not my sons voice and it grates on my nerves now. I am concerned there is some sort of identity thing going on or something. But in the same breath I recognize he has a knack for impersonating, his uncle is a comedian and can impersonate most people with amazing accuracy--but this is not a skill my kids have witnessed so he isn't getting the idea from his uncle. My husband I are beginning to wonder if this is simply a skill that runs in the genes or if something serious is going on. Has anyone had any experience with this, success in eradicating it or will he just outgrow it? Thank you for your insight.

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P.M.

answers from Norfolk on

Ms. A.... I am not trying to be rude, but really... you and your husband need to get a grip.. He is 6 and wanting to sound like someone else.. What is the harm in that? He is not out (apparently) causing any trouble or hurting other children.. How well does he do in school? How does he treat other people in general? Really sit back and just enjoy him. He sounds like he is his own individual, and probably because he is a twin. Let him be his own person. I have 3 kids, a daughter 12 a boy that just turned 2 yesterday and one that will turn 8 tomorrow. They are all their own little people.. Relish in the fact that he is his own little person... Mom (and Dad) just give him hugs and encourage him.... you never know he might the next

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A.S.

answers from Denver on

My DD does this too. And I can fully understand how it can be grating...it seems she always picks the kids with a speech impediment as well. We don't have anyone in the family that impersonates so we can't fall back on genes; we have noticed with her she is very verbal. She's not talkative necessarily, but she's off the charts (literally) for her verbal skills. To me, this is just another piece of it.

DD is also in a dual language immersion program where she's learning spanish along with english. For us, I see it as a real plus that she impersonates so well; it just means her accent will sound that much more authentic. I don't see it as something to worry about at all. GL!!

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S.S.

answers from Santa Barbara on

My son doesn't imitate other kids, but goes around speaking "Nicholas" as I call it. He has done this since he became verbal. He had a different language at birth and when I've spoken to people about this they suggested it was a primitive language development?!?! I would suggest putting your son in a language class, maybe that'll occupy him enough that he doesn't feel that it's necessary to imitate. I am a person who picks up the accent of whomever I happen to be around. Which is odd to everyone around me, but if you speak with a southern drawl, I'm drawling right back. If you're from the Canada then, "eh." It's nothing intentional but it is something I do. Maybe your son is like me?
I hope you find a solution that works for you.
S.

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