It’s not uncommon for kids to revert to baby talk long after they’ve outgrown it. In fact, many preschoolers often revert back to baby talk as part of their normal development. Older grade school kids can also revert back to baby talk.

Baby talk can be an annoying behavior that leads many parents feeling flustered. However, there are steps you can take to curb it before it gets out of control. Usually, it will go away relatively quickly with appropriate intervention.

1. Rule Out Underlying Problems

Usually, baby talk is not a cause for concern. Sometimes it results from to a stressful situation for the child, such as having a new baby in the home. At other times, children revert to baby talk because they miss being a young child and want to be coddled again.

There are times however, when baby talk might signal a more serious problem. Make sure to rule out speech delays or other developmental delays in a child who uses baby talk. Talk to your child’s pediatrician to ensure that your child is developmentally on track.

If your child’s baby talk is combined with other regressive behaviors, such as bedwetting, seek professional help. Sometimes, traumatic events, or mental health issues can trigger a child to regress.

2. Don’t Make a Big Deal of It

If you make a big deal out of your child’s baby talk, you might be encouraging the behavior to continue. Don’t bring up the subject when your child’s not using baby talk and don’t allow your child to overhear you complaining to others about it.

Instead, remain calm. Intervene in a direct and straightforward manner. Even though it can be irritating, don’t let your child know it drives you crazy.

3. Ignore It

If it appears that your child is using baby talk to get attention, ignoring can be one of the best solutions. If you don’t react, your child may learn that he needs to use his normal voice to get your attention.

Sometimes baby talk becomes a bad habit and kids aren’t even aware when they’re doing it. A reminder such as, “Use your big kid voice,” can be helpful. You can also let your child know, “I don’t understand baby talk. Use your big kid voice to tell me what you want.”

4. Praise and Attention for Good Behavior

One of the best behavior modification techniques is to provide a child with lots of positive attention for good behavior. Catch your child using his normal voice and provide him with praise. Say something such as, “I like it when you use your normal voice to ask me for something.”

Attention and praise will provide your child with positive reinforcement for using his normal voice. This can help encourage him to keep it up when he realizes that it is the best way to get your attention.

5. Teach Your Child New Skills

Baby talk can signal that your child needs help learning new skills. For example, if your child is using baby talk in an attempt to socialize with other children, he may benefit from learning new social skills. Teach your child about feelings so he can cope with his feelings in socially acceptable ways.

Sometimes children use baby talk to try and convince parents they can’t complete a difficult task. For example, a six-year-old might stand next to the food at a family barbeque and say, “Me want food,” because he’s nervous about trying to serve himself. In this case, a child may benefit from learning problem-solving skills.