It is expected that a child living in Pittsburgh will exhibit some aspects of the Pittsburgh dialect. According to sociolinguists (http://pittsburghspeech.pitt.edu/PittsburghSpeech_FAQ.html), this is pleasing to some people as it may demonstrate that one is proud of her hometown; this may be embarrassing to others as it may be interpreted as not "speaking correctly."
Some parents may be conflicted or uncertain about how they feel. If this is the case for you, then what I recommend is to teach your child about "code switching." Code switching is the idea that we as people can use different language varieties depending on who our communication partners are, or what the communication setting is. For example, an adult may use standard American English while at work, but use a New England dialect, New York City dialect or African American English when at home or with friends. The point is that a person can switch back and forth between use of dialects and be fluent in each one. The advantage of this is that children are given the tools to use speech and language in more than one way.
If you are interested in having your child be able to code switch, then have a discussion with her. Explain to her that there is more than one acceptable way to speak, and that you suggest she be proficient in more than one way so that she has the tools to speak however she would like. Chances are, she is probably already somewhat adept at code switching. Children have many communication partners, and the media also shows us varying ways of speech and language. Thus, she has probably already been exposed to different ways of speaking.
According to sociolinguists, there are three major indicators of Pittsburgh speech: words, grammar, and vowel pronunciation.
The easiest way to start practicing code switching is to talk about how different words can mean the same thing. Just as there are synonyms for the word "happy" including "cheerful," "elated" and "glad" (which are all acceptable!), there are also other ways of saying things that are different from the Pittsburgh dialect. Explain to your child that "gumbands" are also called "rubberbands" and that some people say "clean up" instead of "redd up." This may very well prove fascinating to your child. Other words from Pittsburgh dialect include "slippy" with its counterpart being "slippery" in Standard American English, and "nebby" meaning "nosy."
In terms of grammar, what tends to make Pittsburgh speech stand out is the omission of the "to be" verb. Someone may say "This needs washed," rather than "This needs to be washed." Again, explain to your child that there is more than one way to construct a sentence; people in Pittsburgh may say "This needs fixed" whereas people in the mid-west may say "This needs to be fixed."
As for vowel pronunciation, this may be the hardest as it is probably the most habituated. Sometimes the older we get, the harder it is for us to change our pronunciation as we may lose our ability to decipher subtle differences in sounds. According to sociolinguistics, Pittsburghers often pronounce the "aw" vowel as "ah." Thus, "down" may be pronounced as "dahn" and "not" may be pronounced as "nawt."
So, how can you and your child practice code switching? One way that may facilitate understanding how to switch codes is to play dress up. When she is wearing a Steelers jersey or Pirates cap, then she can practice her Pittsburgh dialect. When she is wearing something else (e.g. a fluffy dress or a cowboy hat) then she can practice Standard American English. You can even model how to contrast the speech and language by putting on the hats yourself. Explain to her that when you are wearing the cap, you speak using words like "gumbands" and "dahntahn," but when you wear the cowboy hat, you speak using words like "rubberbands" and "downtown." Once she is more proficient, switch the hats on and off and see how fluent you and your child can be. Then, practice outside the home. When you are at Pittsburgh institutions you may want to practice Pittsburgh speech; this would be a great time to teach your child about Pittsburgh history and expose her to other elements of the Pittsburgh dialect. When you are outside of the area (maybe when visiting the grandparents) you can practice Standard American English. For example, if it is icy outside your home, you may ask her child how the ice would feel if she walked over it in Pittsburgh speech; cue her to say, "It would feel slippy." Then, if it is icy outside her grandparents, ask her how they would say the ice feels; cue her to say, "It would feel slippery." Likewise, if the streets are snowy in your neighborhood, ask your child what needs to be done and ask her to use Pittsburgh speech. Her reply may be along the lines of, "It needs plowed." Then, ask her how someone outside of Pittsburgh might say it. Her reply should be, "It needs to be plowed."
*Tip: Please remember that while code switching is useful, it is not essential. Dialects are recognized as legitimate speech and language variations specific to certain groups/regions.
For more information on Pittsburgh speech/Pittsburghese, please visit this link written by researchers based in Pittsburgh: http://pittsburghspeech.pitt.edu/index.html
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