I don’t do voices, no, because even when just reading to my kids I feel awkward doing voices.
That's fair, voices aren't for everyone. Of course I do voices all the time because I'm a grown-up man child who can't be serious.
I've been helping out a side gig my oldest son's theater group does, where they dress up as princesses for birthday parties and that sort of thing. But they also donate their time to go to our local schools and read books to the kids, and they occasionally need a Beast to accompany Belle so somehow I've gotten roped into doing it. So I have a costume and an articulated mask (incredibly uncomfortable but easier/quicker than prosthetics/makeup), but by FAR the hardest thing about it is the voice. To have a consistent pretend voice over a sustained period of time is much more difficult than I would have imagined. And never mind just reading from books, there's also a large amount of improvisation you have to do. The nice thing about Beast is if you back yourself into a corner, you can just roar really loud and it's still in character lol
It's been incredibly rewarding though; both personally because it's so SO far out of my comfort zone, and for my own children because it's helped me become more of a performer when reading to them, rather than how sometimes it's little more than a chore to get them to bed.
Drake ChambersLay out my formal shorts.Registered Userregular
My wife and I both have theatrical backgrounds and both do voices and accents, sometimes when there's no need at all. It's especially fun to assign random accents to various anthropomorphic animals in the Little Critter books.
My wife randomly gave a monkey a smooth, Southern accent and had been doing so for awhile before I heard it. It immediately made me crack up and now she can't do it without laughing either. We call him "Savannah Monkey".
My daughter had her sixth birthday party today and got a few of those lol toys and the ratio of trash generated to toy received is completely unreasonable. Plus the toys themselves are stupid garbage. I'm glad she mostly got good stuff.
Peanut just hit 20 months (slow down with the aging there kid) and he has for a while now been helping with changing his diaper (he holds his legs), throwing away his diaper (throws it in the trash) and has now started cleaning up messes with his wipies.
Which actually put momma bear in an unusual situation where she scolded peanut for pulling out wipies from its case and turns out it was because he had spilt his juice and was trying to clean up his own mess.
She was able to salvage it by handing him the wipies and letting him clean it up and celebrating a job well done.
I made the joke that she "almost had to apologies to peanut" to which she replied..
I think blind box toys should be abolished from stores. That garbage works on adults, nevermind kids.
Reminds me of a party I went to last year. The kid's mom was saying how she was trying to be environmentally conscious by using paper straws. And then the party favors were bags full of cheap plastic crap.
Went out for brunch, on looking at the menu William queried:
"Hot chocolate and white hot chocolate...is that just normal hot chocolate but even hotter?"
I kind of like the idea of a hot chocolate that has to be brought to the table in a crucible with tongs. Apart from the fiery death spillage and scorching potential.
ceresWhen the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderatormod
Peanut just hit 20 months (slow down with the aging there kid) and he has for a while now been helping with changing his diaper (he holds his legs), throwing away his diaper (throws it in the trash) and has now started cleaning up messes with his wipies.
Which actually put momma bear in an unusual situation where she scolded peanut for pulling out wipies from its case and turns out it was because he had spilt his juice and was trying to clean up his own mess.
She was able to salvage it by handing him the wipies and letting him clean it up and celebrating a job well done.
I made the joke that she "almost had to apologies to peanut" to which she replied..
"you don't show any weakness."
My daughter is surprisingly self-sufficient for 2 and cleans herself up beautifully. She throws out her pullups, brings dishes back to the sink, wipes her hands, and even picks up trash occasionally. She peels her own clementines over the trash and just generally puts her big brother to shame in the helpfulness department. It's pretty clear she's on her way to running this place.
And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
When I read Peppa Pig books to my daughter, I use the voices from the cartoon. She loves it!
We tried to put a stop to him wanting the Peppa Pig books every night by making Peppa's voice as horrendous as we could. We basically did the voice from the League of Gentlemen orange juice advert:
Please tell me you do exaggerated voices when dictating the Nac Mac Feegle parts. If you don't, I highly recommend copying the audio book narrator's version.
My problem is remembering today what voice I chose to do yesterday.
I simplified this by only being able to do three voices:
squeaky version of my voice (children, young animals, etc)
creaky version of my voice (old people)
my normal voice (everything else)
Occasionally I'll try and get fancy but I can not do actual regional variations or anything, I can just do a voice with a special effect applied; so some people are me, but much breathier. or me, but rounded out a lot. or me, but nasal. And that's when it gets complicated to remember who's who.
I try to give characters accents and verbal tics and other identifiers because, I think I secretly wanted to be a voice actor my whole life? Also, occasionally I'll do a voice and it will take on a life of it's own- for instance, I can't read "Are You My Mother?" to my boys anymore, because I accidentally turned the needy baby bird into a caterwauling little whiner who my boys find endlessly entertaining, but who I've sort of grown to despise
I was introduced to blind boxes very early in life: the dreaded $.25 plastic capsule toys. Only took one try of not getting the one I wanted to know I hated the system.
Need a voice actor? Hire me at bengrayVO.com
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051 Steam ID Twitch Page
Guh, the double-edged sword of grandma. She takes Abigail off our hands to an indoor playground so we can have the day to ourselves, with only the baby to keep track of. That would be great, but then she has to come home and start pushing all this stupid shit on us.
Can't she just watch the kids once in a while instead of deciding what's best for their future? Yes, our daughter is half Chinese, but that doesn't mean she has to learn to play piano. And just because she started dancing for a minute to a silly youtube song does not mean she should take ballet lessons. Like, have you met your granddaughter? She's a ball of unstable energy at the calmest of times. I'll be shocked if she follows orders, much less hold a ballet pose.
That sort of stereotyped stuff makes my wife's blood pressure go from 0 to 60 in record time. That of course means no fun in the Dover household until she calms down.
Need a voice actor? Hire me at bengrayVO.com
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051 Steam ID Twitch Page
Sprocket's friend has Splatoon 2, so I was required to purchase it. I was somewhat apprehensive, given the adversarial nature of the game but she's... actually pretty good at it. It helps that she's been playing minecraft on the XBox since she was like 3, so she's quite comfortable with a controller. She's often one of the better performing people on her team, and I've seen her rattle off a complete wipe of the other team with the splat roller. Of course, I've also seen her do some truly bone-headed stuff and get stuck on little bits of terrain or shoot absolutely everything but the person she's aiming at and get smoked. You absolutely cannot give her any advice on how to play, because SHE KNOWS, she's TOTALLY played before, thanks. So there's some give and take. But overall I was surprised, she took to it pretty well.
The thing I'm most happy about is she does not get frustrated or upset at all when her team loses or she gets killed. She laughs off getting splatted and when her team loses she usually says something like "wow, that other team is really good, I'm gonna get that good!" I'm impressed. I shall start trading playtime for chores and consumed vegetable matter.
I was introduced to blind boxes very early in life: the dreaded $.25 plastic capsule toys. Only took one try of not getting the one I wanted to know I hated the system.
Especially when a guaranteed handful of M&Ms was three steps to the left.
Wait, what? Skittles??? Curse you poorly labeled vending machines! CURSE YOU!
see317 on
+3
Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
Ah parenting. I was working off site all day, get home and we've got an out of hours gp appointment at the hospital in an hour.
I'm sure it's nothing but I'm glad French girl panicked at unexpected blood and rang 111
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
ceresWhen the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderatormod
It's getting to be about time for my daughter to start potty training in earnest. She pees in the potty for fun sometimes because wtf, but she won't do it when otherwise told to. I am dreading this because my 5-year-old doesn't have it down yet and I feel like I'm getting ready to play "how can I screw this up even worse?"
And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
+1
FiggyFighter of the night manChampion of the sunRegistered Userregular
I was introduced to blind boxes very early in life: the dreaded $.25 plastic capsule toys. Only took one try of not getting the one I wanted to know I hated the system.
Especially when a guaranteed handful of M&Ms was three steps to the left.
Wait, what? Skittles??? Curse you poorly labeled vending machines! CURSE YOU!
Hey, if you see a thing of colorful skittles and mistake them for M&Ms, you deserve what you get!
Yep. Good to have a doctor have a quick look (who also agreed it was the thing to do)
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
+2
lwt1973King of ThievesSyndicationRegistered Userregular
Just as a public service announcement, I would encourage everyone who has a kid in school and that kid is struggling, talk to the school about it. Even if the teacher doesn't think your kid is having issues, you know your child better than the teacher. We've had to go through the bureaucracy of the school to get help for our kid and accommodations even though the teacher wasn't on board. Your kid matters. Your child deserves to be put in an environment where they can succeed and do their best. There might be setbacks and every year there can be issues but continue to push on. It's worth it.
If you do have a kid who is struggling in school and has some issues, consider an IEP or 504. By doing that you have a plan and every year you can revise the plan and hold the school accountable if the plan is not used.
"He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
And I'll add that I'm happy to give advice on IEPs to anyone who needs it. I've been wrangling IEPs for going on five years now and have attended a ton of seminars on IEPs so I know all the tips and pitfalls.
lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
I think somebody was looking for kids poetry books? @Janson ?
I found a few in Ellie's bookshelf tonight that I thought of.
A Treasury of NZ Poems for Children, compiled by Paula Green
Julie Andrews collection of songs, poems and lullabies by Julie Andrews
A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
When We Were Six by A.A. Milne
And that's just what I've found tonight. I'm pretty sure somewhere in the house I've got the poetry book of curious cats that the musical Cats was based on. But I don't remember which cubby hole I put that in. B
Hmm. Looking back at my post above I should add the caveat that I don't actually know all there is about the pitfalls of IEPs. My daughter has Down Syndrome, and as such her diagnosis is indisputable. However I have talked with other parents who have children with other learning disabilities and one of the most common fights they have is over whether the child has a recognizable diagnosis. I am familiar with what the other parents have gone through but I have not had any personal experience with that myself.
HardtargetThere Are Four LightsVancouverRegistered Userregular
so I need a haircut quite bad. This means all my gray hairs are long and super noticeable, my temples are crazy grey now. Last night Isaac asked me point blank "Daddy, how come your hair is all white now" *tear*
so I need a haircut quite bad. This means all my gray hairs are long and super noticeable, my temples are crazy grey now. Last night Isaac asked me point blank "Daddy, how come your hair is all white now" *tear*
That's okay, Mallory asks me if she can comb my hair then goes, "BUT YOU HAVE NO HAIR"
so I need a haircut quite bad. This means all my gray hairs are long and super noticeable, my temples are crazy grey now. Last night Isaac asked me point blank "Daddy, how come your hair is all white now" *tear*
That's okay, Mallory asks me if she can comb my hair then goes, "BUT YOU HAVE NO HAIR"
so I need a haircut quite bad. This means all my gray hairs are long and super noticeable, my temples are crazy grey now. Last night Isaac asked me point blank "Daddy, how come your hair is all white now" *tear*
That's okay, Mallory asks me if she can comb my hair then goes, "BUT YOU HAVE NO HAIR"
My daughter once asked me why trees lose their leaves in Fall, and I told her about how they seal off the connections to the leaves to conserve water etc. "Is that what happened to your hair? Will it come back in the Spring?"
Posts
I've been helping out a side gig my oldest son's theater group does, where they dress up as princesses for birthday parties and that sort of thing. But they also donate their time to go to our local schools and read books to the kids, and they occasionally need a Beast to accompany Belle so somehow I've gotten roped into doing it. So I have a costume and an articulated mask (incredibly uncomfortable but easier/quicker than prosthetics/makeup), but by FAR the hardest thing about it is the voice. To have a consistent pretend voice over a sustained period of time is much more difficult than I would have imagined. And never mind just reading from books, there's also a large amount of improvisation you have to do. The nice thing about Beast is if you back yourself into a corner, you can just roar really loud and it's still in character lol
It's been incredibly rewarding though; both personally because it's so SO far out of my comfort zone, and for my own children because it's helped me become more of a performer when reading to them, rather than how sometimes it's little more than a chore to get them to bed.
(Dancing with Belle didn't hurt any, either)
I try, but reading out loud is hard enough.
In case you're wondering, cicadas sound stereotypical Italian/French/Spanish. You know, just in case you're kids asks for a Cicada voice.
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
My wife randomly gave a monkey a smooth, Southern accent and had been doing so for awhile before I heard it. It immediately made me crack up and now she can't do it without laughing either. We call him "Savannah Monkey".
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page
When my seven-year-old reads Peppa pig, he does the same thing.
It is delightful.
Peanut just hit 20 months (slow down with the aging there kid) and he has for a while now been helping with changing his diaper (he holds his legs), throwing away his diaper (throws it in the trash) and has now started cleaning up messes with his wipies.
Which actually put momma bear in an unusual situation where she scolded peanut for pulling out wipies from its case and turns out it was because he had spilt his juice and was trying to clean up his own mess.
She was able to salvage it by handing him the wipies and letting him clean it up and celebrating a job well done.
I made the joke that she "almost had to apologies to peanut" to which she replied..
"you don't show any weakness."
Reminds me of a party I went to last year. The kid's mom was saying how she was trying to be environmentally conscious by using paper straws. And then the party favors were bags full of cheap plastic crap.
"Hot chocolate and white hot chocolate...is that just normal hot chocolate but even hotter?"
I kind of like the idea of a hot chocolate that has to be brought to the table in a crucible with tongs. Apart from the fiery death spillage and scorching potential.
My daughter is surprisingly self-sufficient for 2 and cleans herself up beautifully. She throws out her pullups, brings dishes back to the sink, wipes her hands, and even picks up trash occasionally. She peels her own clementines over the trash and just generally puts her big brother to shame in the helpfulness department. It's pretty clear she's on her way to running this place.
We tried to put a stop to him wanting the Peppa Pig books every night by making Peppa's voice as horrendous as we could. We basically did the voice from the League of Gentlemen orange juice advert:
It didn't work
I simplified this by only being able to do three voices:
Occasionally I'll try and get fancy but I can not do actual regional variations or anything, I can just do a voice with a special effect applied; so some people are me, but much breathier. or me, but rounded out a lot. or me, but nasal. And that's when it gets complicated to remember who's who.
I see the ads for these while fast-forwarding through a show for my kid. Makes me want to hurl, just utter garbage. They should be illegal.
They upset me because its just teaching kids that gambling is fun.
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page
Can't she just watch the kids once in a while instead of deciding what's best for their future? Yes, our daughter is half Chinese, but that doesn't mean she has to learn to play piano. And just because she started dancing for a minute to a silly youtube song does not mean she should take ballet lessons. Like, have you met your granddaughter? She's a ball of unstable energy at the calmest of times. I'll be shocked if she follows orders, much less hold a ballet pose.
That sort of stereotyped stuff makes my wife's blood pressure go from 0 to 60 in record time. That of course means no fun in the Dover household until she calms down.
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page
The thing I'm most happy about is she does not get frustrated or upset at all when her team loses or she gets killed. She laughs off getting splatted and when her team loses she usually says something like "wow, that other team is really good, I'm gonna get that good!" I'm impressed. I shall start trading playtime for chores and consumed vegetable matter.
Especially when a guaranteed handful of M&Ms was three steps to the left.
Wait, what? Skittles??? Curse you poorly labeled vending machines! CURSE YOU!
I'm sure it's nothing but I'm glad French girl panicked at unexpected blood and rang 111
@MNC Dover I empathize with having interfering in-laws. I’m sorry!
Anya’s halfway through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I’m so glad she’s back into reading.
Make up post:
Hey, if you see a thing of colorful skittles and mistake them for M&Ms, you deserve what you get!
/candysnob?
Yep. Good to have a doctor have a quick look (who also agreed it was the thing to do)
If you do have a kid who is struggling in school and has some issues, consider an IEP or 504. By doing that you have a plan and every year you can revise the plan and hold the school accountable if the plan is not used.
I found a few in Ellie's bookshelf tonight that I thought of.
A Treasury of NZ Poems for Children, compiled by Paula Green
Julie Andrews collection of songs, poems and lullabies by Julie Andrews
A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
When We Were Six by A.A. Milne
And that's just what I've found tonight. I'm pretty sure somewhere in the house I've got the poetry book of curious cats that the musical Cats was based on. But I don't remember which cubby hole I put that in. B
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
That's okay, Mallory asks me if she can comb my hair then goes, "BUT YOU HAVE NO HAIR"
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
ahahahahaha. that's rough
My daughter once asked me why trees lose their leaves in Fall, and I told her about how they seal off the connections to the leaves to conserve water etc. "Is that what happened to your hair? Will it come back in the Spring?"