‘Maybe Katie shouldn’t have been so candid’: 6-year-old has choice words for adult who tries to speak to her using baby talk

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  • 01
    AITA for not making my daughter apologize to the woman who spoke to her like a baby?
  • 02
    I have a daughter, Katie who is 6 years old. She is a very smart and straightforward little girl. People are often surprised over what comes out of her mouth. We do talk about filtering but as she's 6, she's not always best at it. I admit I didn't use a lot of baby talk when she was younger and do speak to her as I would an adult.
  • 03
    Katie has a babysitter, Lauren, who watches her some afternoons if I'm not off by the time Katie is done with school. One night, I had to work late. Lauren's mom, Julie, stopped by at one point to drop something off. Now, I wasn't there, but by Lauren's own admission, her mom can be a lot. The following is a recount from Lauren and Katie has confirmed it when I discussed it with her privately.
  • 04
    Julie began gushing about how cute Katie is and began baby talking her, using cutesy words, pronouncing things with w's, etc. Lauren was cooking dinner for herself and Katie. Julie turned to Katie and asked "Are you ready for your nummies?" Katie got a weird look on her face and asked "Why are you talking to me like that? Are you stupid or something?" Julie got offended and Lauren told Katie to apologize. Katie said no and told Lauren to stop talking like a baby. Julie left not long after.
  • 05
    When Lauren relayed the story, I said maybe Katie shouldn't have been so candid but Julie shouldn't have talked to her like an infant. Lauren said she just wants Katie to apologize to her mom. I said Julie should apologize to Katie for treating her like a baby.
  • 06
    I did talk to Katie about being more polite. She seemed to be receptive. When I told my mom about the whole situation, she was appalled. She said Julie was probably just trying to be nice and didn't realize how mature Katie is. She said Katie should absolutely apologize.
  • 07
    Jaded Dragonfly571. 1h Partassipant [1] I'm a teacher, who mostly teaches 6-7 year olds. NOBODY speaks to them like they're babies, not their parents or siblings or family members that visit school. (Edit: in Australia, the 'baby talk' thing isn't as common here as it was in the US when I was over there) I think it's really weird that Julie saw a 6 year old and thought 'Il better speak to this child like they're a toddler! But I also think it's important that Katie learns the impact of her words
  • 08
    Zestyclose_Media_548 1h ● I agree about nobody talking to kids like that. Like I'm also wondering if the babysitter's mom is playing with a full deck. The little girl needs to learn that you can ask questions without making insults - she could have said I'm six and not a baby - why are you talking to me like this?
  • 09
    ● Virtual-Pineapple-85 · 1h Partassipant [4] OP said she discussed with her daughter why she shouldn't tell people they are stupid. As an adult, I would not have come up with your sentence in the moment, I would've sneered at them and walked away - an option the little girl didn't have.
  • 10
    Dogbite_Not Dimple. 2h "Why are you talking like that?" is fine. "Are you stupid or something" crosses the line into rude and disrespectful. So, help your daughter craft an appropriate apology for saying that. In person, or a note. And make sure she understands what tact is and how to speak respectfully to anyone she might come across. It'll make her life much easier if she knows how to be polite.
  • 11
    Jumpy-Spend-3525. 1h Exactly. Calling her stupid was rude. She was being nice to her and didn't realize she was doing anything wrong. You say your daughter is inte so teach her to apologize and that is best practice and how to say it better next time.
  • 12
    starfire92 1h ● ESH Sure it was not cool for Julie to all goo goo gaa gaa. But the kid didn't need to call her stupid. You can't play both sides of the field, expect people to talk to her like an adult and to know off an assumption that she's a straight forward talker and then in the same vein, let her get away with things like a baby. A normal kid should be taught not to call someone stupid in such a rude was unprovoked. Neither should a teenager nor adult. Cool and all that you taught her behi
  • 13
    cb1977007. 2h Partassipant [1] I'm in the minority here, apparently, but calling someone stupid and then refusing to apologize for it is not a child being "smart and straightforward." It's a child who is acting like a brat and who thinks she is the smartest person in the room.
  • 14
    SamSpayedPI Craptain [174] ● 2h ESH. Julie was being annoying, but it wasn't necessarily intentional. Katie's response, "Are you stupid?" was plain rude. Sure, Katie is young, and she might not have meant to be rude (although I suspect she knows better than to say something like that to her teacher), but she was. This is a learning experience. Julie deserves an apology.
  • 15
    HeyNow5566. 2h Ok as a father of 4.. I legit just laughed out loud reading her response, and id laugh even harder if I was there for it. Probably not great but that's really funny. Still, id tell her to apologize for calling her stupid, regardless of how stupid she may have sounded or acted.
  • 16
    randomstat123 • 2h Partassipant [1] ESH yes, Julie shouldn't have assumed and used the cutesy voice when talking to Katie but you should also be teaching your child manners and politeness. Asking someone if they're stupid is incredibly rude, no matter how you look at it.
  • 17
    Elegant-Average5722 2h Hmmm I'm going with YTA for the sole reason that your kid shouldn't think she can call anyone stupid it's rude and she should have apologized for being rude. I'm also taken aback by the fact that Katie would tell her babysitter no to apologizing I would be pretty appalled if my 6 year old did any of that. Now was Julie "stupid"? Yeah you obviously don't speak to any 6 year old like that mature or not - I don't even talk to my 2 year old like that. But no children shouldn't
  • 18
    Unicorn_dreams42 • 2h Partassipant [3] YTA. Calling anyone stupid is rude. What if it had been a teacher or your boss instead of the babysitter's mother? I think the teachable moment should have been, calling people stupid is rude, next time maybe say... I am not a baby please dont speak to me like one? She wont be apologizing for sticking up for herself but for being rude. Perhaps, Im sorry I called you stupid, please dont speak to me like a baby.
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