Kid's Accents

My 3 yr old daughter has a hybrid British/American accent.  It changes in the middle of a sentence and depends on what word she uses.  She also tends to use the American words even though I have been very good at only speaking British.  By contrast my 22 mths old son doesn't have a trace of American in his accent and even says poTAHto because he is sure it has to be said that way.

I was wondering if any other expats noticed this with their children?

My sixteen year old -- who came over here when he was ten -- has a very hybrid accent.  He uses British terminology, whereas I find it hard to give up certain American words.

My friend's son has a very strong Lancashire accent and sounds exactly like his step dad.  He has been here over four years.  He corrects his mother if she uses the American word.  Really funny thing is my friend has a British accent when she talks to her 2 yr old daughter.

The only word I have the most trouble adapting to is pants.  I have pants but my husband and children have trousers.

I have pants but my husband and children have trousers.

Yep, that's one of the words that refuses to go away.  Along with chips (potato chips).  I usually waffle between bin and trash can.  Nappies are always diapers and I never give my child 'a feed' because that's what you give cattle, not babies. 

I'm american, DH is australian and our children have northern irish accents. My eldest DD had a hybrid accent (aussie/american) until she started school. Didn't take long for the change to kick in. My younger DD copies just copies her sister's accent! Both girls will pronounce things differently when talking to me, though. (bath vs. baahth) Amusing! We'll be living in Australia again in a couple years so I assume they will change again and the baby will have an aussie accent. I will be the odd one out in the family!

People here in Ireland get a kick out of how different we all sound.

My kids both have spent most their lives in the UK (13 years for my 14 year old son and  10 years for my almost 11 year old daughter) My son went to an american school for the first 5 years of school and he speaks with an american accent almost exclusively but with British phrasings. My daughter has always gone to British schools. Her accent at home (or talking to the Granparents on the phone) is American  but with her friends it is British. She switches back and forth depending on who she is talking to - often mid sentance!

We never claimed to be normal

Rosie

My daughter has a strong Belfast accent, and tends to end every sentence with 'but'. I'm trying to get her to stop doing that, as it's gotten very annoying. As for words, I'm not worried about trying to stick to the slang here, I use whatever rolls off the tongue and my daughter, while tending to lean towards the Belfast venacular, does sprinkle her vocabulary with Americanisms.

Re hybrid accents there used to be a fascinating documentary about the story of English and one episode that I remember had a linguist who was able to place people's travels down to a couple weeks spent somewhere (well maybe not that hair-splitting but still) by hearing their accent. So for the soon to be Aussies, they will always have some of their Norn Irish time buried in their voice, and probably too have some of the American midwest in their inflections picked up from mom. 

When I moved here 4 years ago Jordan was 5 and had a pretty broad vocab and he still has a pretty good American accent. Most people can tell he is American. Brett was 2 when we moved here and basically learned to speak here. He has a full blown Coventry accent (not such a good thing). Nobody realizes Brett is American. Coby is 2 and was born here. He has a total Coventry accent but uses American words such as "cookie" and "pants"and "diaper". Jack is 15 weeks old and I can tell he cries with a Coventry accent.   
Pebbles

To my ear my kids have English accents but they do sound different from their friends. The middle one has the strongest twang.   The little one has the strongest/purest English accent which is probably down to Speech Therapy and spending alot less time in the states growing up.  The oldest two spent almost every summer there until the were 9 and 10.  The little one has only been three times-when she was 8 months, 21/2 and 3.  
They do use alot of American words and phrases-and so does my husband.    Braids, math, candybar, barrette, bunch, grab, gotten, dumb, bathroom, ass, butt.

Jack is 15 weeks old and I can tell he cries with a Coventry accent.   
Pebbles

   
 

Um, okay Mindy, what is the 'English' word for braids?   

Um, okay Mindy, what is the 'English' word for braids?   

plaits

The two words my DF doesn't get from the American language are braids and bangs.  I just can not bring myself to say plaits and fringe though...

Sorry to hi-jack ;-)

My daughter used to correct her daddy and grandma that it was diapers not nappy.   Now she understands that mommy uses different words.
My husband only knew the American words for baby things and one time I had him get new nipples for the bottles and he started to ask where they were and realized that there was a different British word for them.

My poor little Jordan really got teased when we first moved here. He was just 5 and was the new, "foreign" kid at school and he told the kids at school that his pants were wrinkled. They all laughed and said "Jordan, dont you mean your TROUSERS are CREASED?" Poor kid. I always thought creased trousers were a good thing. lol