the 3rd person

Guest · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 7:31 pm Post subject: the 3rd person

Okay, I don't have kids of my own but (without going into a huge story about why I'm asking) would like like some outside opinions: At what age, stage, whatever do you stop (if you ever start in the 1st place) refering to yourself in the 3rd person when talking to your child. ie. "do you want mommy to...?" instead of "do you want me to..." Question

Waterdog · Senior member **Joined:** 19 Jan 2005 **Posts:** 969

I read that (and I think I just naturally did) you should stop at about age 4. 3 or 4 was what the article said, I think. Unfortunately, dh still refers to himself in the 3rd person, and our dd is 6! Mad

Guest · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:16 am Post subject:

Haha, that's why i was wondering actually. dh has a dd will be 6 soon as well and he still says it. Maybe men are slower to let it go Wink

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:01 pm Post subject:

Actually, I have never referred to myself in the 3rd person. I always just say "me."

But I suppose thats why my son was a little slow on what to call me. He called me "baby" for awhile because that what my husband calls me and he overheard that. He just now started calling me mom.

I guess I feel a little silly saying "give it to mommy." I dont know why though.

I will probably start using 3rd person with my daughter though.

Guest · Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:56 am Post subject:

I agree with broken condom (whose name I really like by the way) I feel a little silly refering to myself in the third person. The only time I have ever done that is when I am telling them they are "daddys girls" and that is something that I am sure I will be telling them until they are 20, but I guess they are stilll to young to really talk to them much, that they can understand anyway

Guest · Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:04 pm Post subject:

You know, I've never ever thought about that. I always refer to my self as mommy when talking to Noelle. I say things like "Is that a Mommy's Pooh?" to make her smile and I say "Mommy said stop crying" when I want er to quiet down. Now my youngest nephew will be 4 on febuary 7th and I notice just be reading this post I still do 3rd person with him. He calls me "Sharell" as he can't pronounce my middle name(Yarell) and I always say "Didn't Sharell tell you no" or "Do you want to go with Sharell to the mall" and stufflike that... I even call myself Sharell... I think by the time he's five I would have definatly stoped that, maybe since I now realize I do that I'll stop sooner. My other young nephew is 7 and I know I been stoped talking to himlike that...

Guest · Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:41 pm Post subject:

I don't think that it really matters when you stop as much as it matters that you are sure that your child is speaking correctly.

Guest · Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:36 pm Post subject:

I dont refer to myself in the third person when it comes to "What did I ask you to do?", or "Do you remember what I made you for lunch today?"... But if its something I want my child to tell someone else I do..for example "Ask Daddy if he wants Mommy to help him".. "Tell Grandma where you went with Mommy today"..because thats how they would refer to me in those situations, as Mommy. If they are crying or hurt, I refer to myself in the third person, "Come see Mommy"..."Mommy will make it better"..or if Iam telling them goodnight "goodnight, Mommy loves you". I think it just depends on the situation. I do notice that I refer to myself in the third person less to my son who is 9 than I do to the girls who are 6 and almost 4.