Acting like their friends

I have noticed the girls have started to mimick some of their friends actions. This really bothers me because one of Zoes friends really acts like she is 3 instead of 8. She talks like a baby, wants to act like a baby and Zoe picks up on this when she is with her. Allison has a friend that makes this super annoying sound and now she has started doing it. I know this is probably normal but it is driving me nuts. Has anyone else dealt with this and successfully snapped their children out of it. i woudl like my girls to know they are great being who they are.

 

I remember when I started hanging out with a girl in high school (who is now my best friend), my mom used to say, "Why are you talking like Stacy?" And, it turns out, Stacy's mom would ask her why she was talking like me. For whatever reason, we would use this weird voice when we were talking to each other sometimes and it would carry on at home. I've noticed my girls saying and doing things their friends do, and I'm guessing the same goes for their friends saying and doing things they do. Yes, it can be annoying, and you want your kids to be their own person, but I think it's very normal for kids (and even adults) to pick up mannerisms and speech of people they spend a lot of time with. I don't think there's anything wrong with telling your daughters that a sound they're making or talking in baby talk is annoying to you and you'd like them to stop, but I wouldn't necessarily point out that they seem to have gotten that habit from their friend. They want you to like their friends and I know my girls get pretty defensive if I say something about their friends.

 

Mine don't act like the same friend(s) all the time, but I can definitely tell when some buzzword or mannerism is going around the classroom. For the most part I just try to let it go, unless I feel one of the kids is really becoming fixated on it. Yes, it is annoying, but I don't think (at least not yet) it's really going to keep them from knowing who they are. I would feel differently if they had one particular friend who behaved in ways that I thought were really unacceptable, and they were mimicking that. But not if it's just making some random noise or (for example -- this is what Sarah is doing constantly at the moment) yelling "Boo-yah, baby!"

 

Gosh, mine are 5 and do that. I assumed it was a normal part of Kinder . Luckily, they return to themselves fairly quickly. If they are using words, actions, etc. that I consider inappropriate, I try and nip it in the bud ASAP.

 

Sounds familiar...and definitly annoying! I noticed if I point out that they are acting like their friend, they LIKE it. And do it even more!
Looking foward to hearing other suggestions!

 

Mind did/do it too. Like others have said, when you hang around with someone often, you pick up on their mannerisms and sayings. I know I still do that on occasion.