Hello!

My four year old son repeats/parrots everything his ten year old brother says word for word. We try to ignore it but he is persistent and can carry on for a half hour. Suggestions please to stop this?


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  • My 8yr old does this at times, she watched a video of Ryan’s world who copies his mum for 24hr and found it hilarious. I tell my kids not to respond and even not to talk for a while, then she doesn’t have anything to copy. Alternatively I tell my kids to walk away from her


  • I would distract your four year old with some other activity.


  • I dont think there is really anything you can do to stop it, kids copy, it may be his way of trying to understand language. My son (though only 3) does a similar thing but not the same, say i ask him a question “what is your favourite colour?” his reply is “favourite colour” instead of answering the question. Maybe join him in on the conversation, ask him questions about what he is repeating. Possibly could also get your son to say things that the 4 year old wouldnt like saying to see if he is taking notice of what the brother is saying like “i stink” or “im a baby” or something else that the 4 year old wouldnt like to copy.


  • Teach your 10 yo to explain how his actions make you feel without getting angry. “Please don’t say the same thing I say. I feel sad and annoyed when you do that”. Then ignore him and his behaviour for a while, he might stop if he doesn’t get a reaction. Divert his attention with another activity and if possible get big brother to play with him sometimes – he could be just looking for attention the only way he knows how.


  • try having a talk with him and ask him to stop


  • Repeat everything he says, he will soon realize it is annoying.


  • It really is just a phase he is going through.. If it gets to annoying for you give him some pencils and a book and ask him to draw his favorite thing and play a guessing game he will soon forget what he was doing earlier


  • Sorry to say its a phase, he will eventually get sick of it.


  • I wish I could help but my kids constantly do this to each other :( It can drive me nuts some days but other days I join in and they soon get sick of that, lol.


  • Tell him off for it and let him know it’s rude!


  • I don’t think this can be stopped,


  • Eventually they will get bored of it and keep ignoring tuff it out, good luck


  • Tempting as it would be, mimicking what your son says, to see how he likes it, is just reinforcing his behaviour. It will test your patience phenomenally, but if you can ignore him, and even send him to “time out”, he’ll soon learn.


  • I think that this is just part of being a little brother! I wouldn’t be too concerned!


  • ignore it is a phase


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