Baby talk shouldn't be a huge cause for concern. Sometimes it stems from a stressful situation, such as having a new baby in the home. Other times, children revert to baby talk because they miss being a young child and they want to be coddled again.
The most common trigger is the birth of a sibling. The older child uses baby talk in the hope of getting some attention focused back on her. Other causes can be a move, a loss of someone important, or any other change in the child's life.
Infantile speech, pedolalia, baby talk, infantile perseveration, or infantilism is a speech disorder, persistence of early speech development stage beyond the age when it is normally expected.
It's not because you're regressing into childhood, it's because you need a brief respite from #adulting. Same goes for baby talk. “The most common reasons for couples' baby talk is to be playful, affectionate, and vulnerable simultaneously,” Silva says.
Often big kids want to play baby to settle fears they have about being replaced when younger children arrive. Meanwhile, younger kids may be stretching towards new independence, but want to be babied when that feels hard.
It is typical for adolescents in this stage to often change groups of friends, clothing style and interests. It is also a time of much introspection, and they may struggle with feelings of inner turmoil and question their place in the world.
Acting immature can be a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. Hyperactivity, trouble with focus, and not getting enough sleep can be factors. Connect with other adults to find out what they've noticed, and work together to help kids develop skills.
Regression is a normal and temporary condition for children, and it can be a coping mechanism for stress and untreated trauma in adults. Examples of regressive behaviors include baby talk, thumb-sucking, and temper tantrums. These behaviors can be voluntary or involuntary.
The real purpose (and benefit) of baby talk is to bolster the social interaction between parent and child. Shifting our style of speech forces us to pay more attention to what we say and, therefore, to the person we're talking to. The topic and details of the conversation don't matter much.
Child-directed speech (CDS) is the term preferred by researchers, psychologists and child development professionals. Infant-directed speech (IDS) is also used. The terms are interchangeable. Caregiver language is sometimes used.
Baby talk shouldn't be a huge cause for concern. Sometimes it stems from a stressful situation, such as having a new baby in the home. Other times, children revert to baby talk because they miss being a young child and they want to be coddled again.
Parenting educator Judy Arnall, author of Discipline Without Distress, says that school-aged kids use baby talk as a way of getting their parents to notice them. “If your child isn't getting enough positive attention, she may try something else,” she says.
For older children, she said, “it can stem from low self-esteem or is used to seek attention from peers and/or adults.” Hurley recommends that teachers and parents look at the underlying feelings behind upspeak and baby talk.
You may have also heard that smart children talk a lot — it's a common “gifted” trait. While early reading can point to a high probability that a child is smart, some very smart children don't talk early or talk much.
“Children who are stressed almost always regress,” said Dr. Laura Markham of AhaParenting. “Regression means that the child is not able to cope in as mature a manner as they have recently mastered, because they feel too overwhelmed.”
While the experts agree that there's no “right time” to stop using baby talk with your child, Karp says it is important to adapt your kid-speak as they age, and especially when emotions are running high.
Regression looks like a step or two backwards in terms of you child's development and behaviour. This could look like a return of issues with sleeping, eating, toilet training, baby talk, hyperactivity, increased tantrums and clingy and needy behaviours.
Getting its name from J.M. Barrie's classic novel, “Peter and Wendy,” Peter Pan syndrome refers to those who seem to never grow up or mature from childhood. The term serves as a metaphor to describe patterns of behavior that show a refusal to accept adult responsibilities.
The DSM-5 doesn't identify age regression as a specific mental health disorder. However, it can be a symptom of particular conditions and a trauma response. For example, some potty-trained children may have toilet accidents again due to stress or a significant change.
Delay in brain development
One reason immaturity might be confused with ADHD is that ADHD itself has been linked to a delay in brain maturation. An older child with ADHD might present behaviors that are typical in a younger child — and the opposite could be true if your frame of reference is older children.
The biggest difference between kids with ADHD and those who are just immature is likely to be how much their behavior impacts their lives. Are they in a negative spiral at home because they can't seem to do what they're asked to do, and parents are very frustrated?