Stop Copying Me!

Every now and then my kids want to play the copying game.  Whatever you say they say right back.  Here is how it normally goes:

Parent, "I want more mashed potatoes."
Child. "I want more mashed potatoes."
Parent, "Are you copying me?"
Child, "Are you copying me?"
Parent, "Stop that."
Child, "Stop that."
Parent, “Quit copying me.”
Child, “Quit copying me.”
And so on….

Here is how to break the cycle.  As soon as you see they are copying you, do the same thing back to them.

Parent, "I want more mashed potatoes."
Child. "I want more mashed potatoes."
Parent, “I want more mashed potatoes.”
Child, “I want more mashed potatoes.”
Parent, “I want more mashed potatoes.”
Child, “I want more mashed potatoes.”

After a couple of rounds, the child will slip up and add some minor change such as a sigh or leave a word out such as, “I want more potatoes.”  Whatever the little change is, add it to your response.  Now you are copying them.

After they see that they are no longer driving the game, they will give up and you can move onto something different.