“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.”
A Many young children go through phases of being “babyish” and appearing to be unable to do things that they are perfectly capable of. There can be lots of different specific reasons for this but at its heart it usually represents the child seeking some extra attention and care from their parent.
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.
Playing out a fantasy of reverting to babyhood is one of the ways children process their feelings around this major life adjustment, and we can help them by accepting and trusting this behavior (rather than being concerned, annoyed, or judgmental about it).
Baby talk can signal that your child needs help with learning new skills. For example, if your child is using baby talk in an attempt to socialize with other children, they may benefit from learning new social skills. Sometimes children use baby talk to try to convince parents they can't complete a difficult task.
Your 9-year-old might seem to drift off like they are “in a daze” or “in another world.” But the world they are in is a new and interesting one. They begin to understand about being liked and seeking approval. They also will start to show they know right from wrong and understand rules.
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.
Individuals with Peter Pan syndrome continue to demonstrate childlike characteristics that most people grow out of during their adult years.
Sometimes, what looks like immaturity may have a different cause. Early signs of ADHD, some learning disabilities, anxiety, and autism can be mistaken for immaturity. Behaviors that seem extreme, or that don't fade over time, mean it's time to talk to your child's pediatrician or a clinician.
In general, there are four common reasons your child might role play as an animal at this age: to avoid something (meowing instead of responding to a question), to get attention (negative attention counts!), to get something they want (asking for milk with a roar) or to communicate something (this is particularly ...
Adult-Like Speech
By age 9, the baby-talk of earlier years is mostly gone. Nine-year-olds can mostly speak with the same grammatical patterns as adults, and people who don't know your child well will generally be able to understand them.
There are many reasons kids seek attention: they're bored, tired, hungry, or in need of quality time with their parents. But the reasons your child acts this way aren't as important as learning how to respond when they do. Keep in mind that such attention-seeking behavior is normal.
The researchers found that, in fact, most of these children did go on to acquire language skills. Nearly half (47 percent) became fluent speakers. Over two-thirds (70 percent) could speak in simple phrases.
Give extra support. It may be tempting to scold children who aren't acting their age, but experts caution against it. Recognize the regression as a sign of stress and increase your support, even if it seems like babying them or “caving in” to childish demands.
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.
Key takeaways. 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.
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.
Kids with ADHD can show signs in any or all these areas: Inattentive. Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating, and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details, and may not finish what they start.
First crushes may occur at any time, but generally start at around 10-13 years of age. They are an important step in developing normal and healthy romantic relationships, and provide opportunities to learn how to compromise and communicate.
The 'Peter Pan Syndrome' affects people who do not want or feel unable to grow up, people with the body of an adult but the mind of a child. They don't know how to or don't want to stop being children and start being mothers or fathers.
Peter Pan Syndrome describes people who have difficulty “growing up.” They may find it hard to manage typical adult responsibilities, such as keeping a job and maintaining healthy relationships. According to Kiley, people with Peter Pan Syndrome behave irresponsibly and may display narcissistic personality traits.
Peter Pan syndrome is a pop-psychology term used to describe an adult who is socially immature. It is a metaphor, based on the concept of not growing up and being trapped in childhood. It is not a recognized mental health illness.
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.
Owen says, “Baby talk when a child is older may not be caused by regression, but maybe an attempt for attention.” Her advice is to ignore it. “If parents laugh or find the baby talk cute at first, they reinforce this behavior for the child.
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.