Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

MNHQ

Share new parenting words with the Oxford English Dictionary for a chance to win £100-worth of children's books. Ends midday, Thursday 30 March

135 replies

SorchaMumsnet · 02/03/2017 08:31

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) would like you - the real parenting experts - to help them improve their coverage of the vast vocabulary of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.

From TTC to baby-led-weaning, the language of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting is as diverse as the opinions parents hold about these topics. And it’s changing, reflecting not only medical advances, but also developments in how we think about children and parenting.

Many such terms are relatively recent, and don’t appear in dictionaries - the OED is keen to capture them. So we're asking Mumsnetters to submit any pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting term that they think is important and which is not yet in OED Online (Search the OED for free). We'd like to hear about brand new words and new senses of familiar words.

In return, we're giving you the chance to win £100 of children's book vouchers. Share your parenting words by midday, 30 March to be entered into the draw.

All your suggestions will go through a process of assessment for inclusion in the dictionary, and the first additions will be published online in December 2017.

This discussion is sponsored by OUP

Books T&Cs apply

Share new parenting words with the Oxford English Dictionary for a chance to win £100-worth of children's books. Ends midday, Thursday 30 March
Share new parenting words with the Oxford English Dictionary for a chance to win £100-worth of children's books. Ends midday, Thursday 30 March
OP posts:
grannybiker · 10/03/2017 22:41

helicopter parenting
Poonami
Baby-wearing

MamaBookWorm1 · 10/03/2017 12:27

Crunchy mama - a mother who prefers organic, eco-friendly food, clothing, activity and toy options for her child. Examples: makes own organic baby food, cloth diapering, avoiding processed foods, organic and chemical free soaps, home remedies, free trade baby clothes, etc.

Silky mama - a mother who follows more conventional food, toy, clothing, and activity options for her child. Examples: prepackaged foods for lunches and snacks, big box store toys and clothes, over the counter mainstream medicines, disposable diapers, regular name brand baby soaps and ointments, etc.

katand2kits · 10/03/2017 12:03

Agree with poonami, definitely. Also like poosplosion and poomageddon, but they aren't as common as poonami.

code brown - in our house that is if a child has done a poo in the bath.

babywearing is really widely used now, that ought to be in the dictionary.

Catiefraser · 09/03/2017 20:44

Hangry - when baby is grumpy because he is hungry.

Baby led weaning - letting baby lead the way when weaning.

bugzie92 · 08/03/2017 20:28

BF - breastfeeding
bumbum - what me, and most parents i know called their nappies!
botbot - my sons name for his bottle when he was a toddler.
tot - its in there but not defined as a toddler as we all know!

sweir1 · 07/03/2017 22:45

Pram rage - where you just cannot get the pram to open up properly

farhanac · 07/03/2017 20:06

Poonami gets my vote....the horror! The horror!

KarenCBC · 07/03/2017 20:04

Poosplosion - probably self explanatory. Its the ones that go up the back and all round the sides and take half an hour to deal with!!

Susangilley7 · 07/03/2017 12:21

Butterflymind which leads to addled brain. I think most parents know about this condition!

hirslc · 07/03/2017 11:54

If you are after 'parenting' words, then probably you should aim for a gender neutral forum. Just a thought.

'stay at home mum/dad': Parent not in paid employment outside the home (cf 'full time mum/dad')
'skin to skin': naked skin contact between (especially newborn) baby and parent, used for comfort/bonding
'controlled crying': a controversial sleep-training technique which involves leaving the baby/infant to cry for fixed periods of time
also another vote for 'poonami', 'helicopter parenting' and 'screen time'

Also there are lots of acronyms used on forums: DD (dear/darling daughter), DS(dear/darling son), DH (dear/darling husband) etc which are completely impenetrable to a new parent!

magolin · 07/03/2017 10:35

'Justinification' - the result of spending too much time in the presence of small children so that your social skills and style of interaction come to resemble those of Cbeebies star Justin Fletcher.

kateandme · 07/03/2017 00:20

helicopter parenting.

FeelingSmurfy · 06/03/2017 23:23

I think that poonami would be a great addition

Poonami (pronounced like tsunami) - a situation when you go to change a childs nappy and find its leaked EVERYWHERE.

There should also be a little note mentioning the trick of rolling baby vests down when dealing with a poonami, rather than having to take it over the head and spreading it further

user1488832816 · 06/03/2017 21:32

Thought of another - birthing ball! Big bouncy ball like an exercise ball that you sit on during labour

Also skin-to-skin - naked baby held against parent/carer's skin (meant to be super beneficial)

Not very exciting ones but definitely used!

user1488832816 · 06/03/2017 21:25

Sleep regression: when you think you've got a child who sleeps through the night and then, just as you are starting to feel smug/relieved, you realise you haven't

Cluster-feeding: lots of milk feeds very close together (sometimes lasting HOURS)

Tummy-time: placing baby on their bellies for a bit of time each day, to help their physical development

Leap/developmental leap: a period of mental development for a baby

Baby massage: massaging your baby (but not like a masseuse - more just gentle stroking)

Dream feed: a milk feed you give your baby when they are basically asleep, in the hope that they will stay asleep

Mozarmstrong · 06/03/2017 20:48

Eye speaking! Words not necessary as you can read their eye and expressions!

RedheadinCamelFlarge · 06/03/2017 20:06

We always said apoocalypse in our house. Also SAHP in addition to SAHM.

Maggiemoomoo17 · 06/03/2017 20:01

Reem. My teenagers are always saying this. I'm not too sure what it means though. They seem to have all these secret code words.

StillNoFuckingEyeDeer · 06/03/2017 19:49

I'd like to vote for 'poonami'and 'code brown'

Andbabymakesthree · 06/03/2017 11:41

Definately

Poonami
Threeanger

Also Helicopter parenting - extreme overproctiveness and always hovering (like a helicopter) in every thing their child does.

alabaster002 · 06/03/2017 05:53

Chrisappointment - the rather sad parental reaction to children rapidly losing interest in lovingly-bought festive presents.....

Notapissingcontest · 05/03/2017 21:44

Baby led weaning.

CotswoldStrife · 05/03/2017 21:40

Craftermath. The aftermath of a craft session.

Elledouble · 05/03/2017 20:55

CBeebiesitter Wink

emmav6 · 05/03/2017 20:37

words to help any breast feeding mum such as foremilk, hindmilk, IBCLC - International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, lanonin & more

Swipe left for the next trending thread