LadyWraye Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 5 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/11/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/26/1958 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Our receptionist is a 55 year old who lapses into baby talk on a regular basis. She answers the phone professionally, but when it's slow she likes to walk around and talk to others and starts talking with a baby voice. It's small office with only five of us here and she's a talker. Does anyone know why someone would do that? I knew another grown woman that would do it on occasion when she was around a guy she liked. I figured it was her way of flirting with the guy. But my co-worker is a happily married grandmother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.44 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Is she sane, or does she just do that to be cute? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afal Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 60 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,249 Content Per Day: 0.36 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/12/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hi and welcome! I'm sorry that I can not offer any suggestions as to why she behaves like that!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyWraye Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 5 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/11/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/26/1958 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 Is she sane, or does she just do that to be cute? I think SHE thinks she's being cute. But it's annoying. She's not a little girl anymore... even her granddaughter isn't a little girl. I don't want to hurt her feelings by bringing it up - she's obviously made it a life long habit and maybe doesn't realize it. I just keep praying for a better attitude. I thought if I could understand it might not bug me so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyWraye Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 5 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/11/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/26/1958 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hi and welcome! I'm sorry that I can not offer any suggestions as to why she behaves like that!!! Hello and thanks anyway. Just nice to be able to 'air it', so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.44 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Is she sane, or does she just do that to be cute? I think SHE thinks she's being cute. But it's annoying. She's not a little girl anymore... even her granddaughter isn't a little girl. I don't want to hurt her feelings by bringing it up - she's obviously made it a life long habit and maybe doesn't realize it. I just keep praying for a better attitude. I thought if I could understand it might not bug me so much. The type of talk is also called "motherese." It's a form of communication that adults have with children. It is also fairly common between new adult relationships, but when an adult talks to another in a professional setting as if they were a child, I would consider it demeaning. It could be that your co-worker is using this language as a means of being insulting. Were I in your position I would take her aside and nicely tell here that I find this form of communication personally insulting and annoying, and I would ask her to stop. If it then became a real issue I would talk to a supervisor about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1,022 Topics Per Day: 0.16 Content Count: 39,193 Content Per Day: 6.09 Reputation: 9,977 Days Won: 78 Joined: 10/01/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted March 11, 2008 Is she sane, or does she just do that to be cute? I think SHE thinks she's being cute. But it's annoying. She's not a little girl anymore... even her granddaughter isn't a little girl. I don't want to hurt her feelings by bringing it up - she's obviously made it a life long habit and maybe doesn't realize it. I just keep praying for a better attitude. I thought if I could understand it might not bug me so much. The type of talk is also called "motherese." It's a form of communication that adults have with children. It is also fairly common between new adult relationships, but when an adult talks to another in a professional setting as if they were a child, I would consider it demeaning. It could be that your co-worker is using this language as a means of being insulting. Were I in your position I would take her aside and nicely tell here that I find this form of communication personally insulting and annoying, and I would ask her to stop. If it then became a real issue I would talk to a supervisor about it. One problem with going to a supervisor over something small like this, or even telling the coworker you find it insulting, that you will get the reputation as a diva and your supervisor will think you're not that bright. I would handle it in a different way; whenever anyone talks in a manner that's not professional at work, and it's an ongoing thing, I stop dead when they start talking and stare at them. I do NOT answer them. Of course, this causes everyone else to stop and look at them too because they don't know what's going on. The person inevitably stops the irritating behavior because no one likes to be stared at or made to feel silly. This worked especially well with the coworker who persisted in calling me 'honey', 'sweetie', 'babe', and 'sugar' constantly. This was another woman, btw. When the dead silence was all around her she had a hard time getting those words out, I guess. This without saying a word or running to the boss. I think it works because some people don't realize how ignorant they sound and some, yeah....they're trying to be insulting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trusting Jesus Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 66 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,050 Content Per Day: 0.34 Reputation: 22 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/12/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/09/1952 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Welcome to Worthy! She's 55 and talks babytalk to adults? Well, you're not going to change her. If you say anything it will probably just cause trouble in the office. I say gring and bear it. Maybe she'll find another job somewhere else someday. <>< ><> Nathele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 400 Topics Per Day: 0.07 Content Count: 1,903 Content Per Day: 0.31 Reputation: 15 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/20/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/19/1942 Share Posted March 11, 2008 welcome to the worthy family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peaches Posted March 11, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 95 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,315 Content Per Day: 0.30 Reputation: 14 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/25/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted March 11, 2008 When I was in first year, there was a girl who was in the habit of doing this so i know how annoying it is. fortunately, i transferred so i didnt have to deal it for 4 yrs otherwise i would have gone bonkers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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