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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

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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:
RebelRogue · 04/03/2017 00:01

Poopcasso - what you call your toddler when he/she smears poop everywhere and anywhere including themselves "artistically ".

leccybill · 03/03/2017 23:22

Meltdown - particularly prolonged tantrum

leccybill · 03/03/2017 23:18

Vomageddon - when your child is puking up day and night
Snowflake - a school-aged child who is treated as precious and unique by their parents

Chilver · 03/03/2017 22:18

Code Brown - a poonami alert

Gizmo'd - as in, 'we got gizmo'd last night'.. Tortured by lack of sleep by waking baby/ child (combination of guantanamo bay=gitmo and 'bright light, bright light' = Gizmo from Gremlins)

Txmama · 03/03/2017 21:11

"trench thumb" - what happens to the thumb after prolonged sucking and exposure to the moist mouth environment. Redness, swelling, blisters, and sloughing of skin.

theresamustgo · 03/03/2017 20:04

Korma poo for a particular type of early bowel evacuation of baby.

finova · 03/03/2017 16:47

Co-sleeping-sleeping alongside child though not necessarily in the same bed.
Bed-sharing- sharing your bed with a child.
Dream feed- rousing child just enough to feed, late evening before you go to bed, in the hope that it will help them sleep through.
The Wind Master- what you call your husband so you can throw the baby at him after a breast feed in the night.

mrsamerican · 03/03/2017 16:45

I found out the word "dyad" is used to describe a breastfeeding mother and baby at a group a few weeks ago. It stuck in my mind because my older child calls her grandad "dyad"!

HamletsSister · 03/03/2017 15:20

tweenager?

2014newme · 03/03/2017 13:31

Sharenting, over Loud parenting designed for others to hear what a great parent you are

MothButterfly · 03/03/2017 13:03

sharenting: oversharing of everything your child does on social media

Vonklump · 03/03/2017 11:48

Agree with several above.
Tantrumtastic - a spectacular (not in a good way) tantrum or tantrumtastic behaviour.

clairethewitch70 · 03/03/2017 11:00

Tween/tweenager - in-between child & teen
Crunchy mother - supports all natural forms of parenting, breastfeed, organic food, reusable nappies etc
Helicopter parenting
Disney Dads

Whippetdays · 03/03/2017 10:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Whippetdays · 03/03/2017 10:36

Back to conception I thought overnight of
DE - donor egg
DD - double donor
Blast - for "blastocyst"
Trigger - used as the term when you take a drug to make you produce several eggs at once

GoodyGoodyGumdrops · 03/03/2017 09:13

Threenager - the year after Terrible Twos.

GoodyGoodyGumdrops · 03/03/2017 09:12

CLIF moment - acronym: Catastrophic Loss of Intestinal Fortitude. The event that comes after your toilet training (or even trained!) toddler has ignored their need to have a poo because Cbeebies is so much more interesting. AKA poonami in nappy-wearers.

GoodyGoodyGumdrops · 03/03/2017 09:05

Hangry - when a child (particularly a teenager) is short-tempered and irrational because they are hungry. Feed them, and all is sweetness and light once more.

Jenniferb21 · 02/03/2017 23:42

'Baby led weaning' - providing baby with the choice of what they want to eat from a selection of finger foods and/or allowing baby to feed themselves with their hands and cutlery to enhance their senses and aid their independence.

I think this is such an important term because it has so many benefits and a lot of new parents I came accords didn't know about this method.

Some benefits:

  • baby learns to feed themselves much earlier
  • gives parents and caregivers more time not having to spoon feed
  • helps baby develop their senses by experimenting with textures and the feel of different foods
foxessocks · 02/03/2017 22:55

Baby led weaning (on my mind at the moment!)

ButterflyOfFreedom · 02/03/2017 22:13

'Whinese' - the whingy tedious noise (language) used by small children; often several bouts throughout the day for a prolonged period

CheeseEMouse · 02/03/2017 21:35

One that feels very relevant right now is "threenager". What happens when you feel slightly smug the terrible twos are over, and you just get a stroppy 3 yo instead!

spoonranger1 · 02/03/2017 20:53

Spuncle: from 'Sperm Uncle' - a known sperm donor who plays a special, but non-parental role in the child's life (i.e. like an uncle).

Mehfruittea · 02/03/2017 20:25

Defleated - the general feeling of being utterly deflated by your baby's lack of enthusiasm or interest for something you have invested vast amounts of time, money and emotional energy in to; whilst at the same time also feeling defeated by the small child's efforts to sabotage your efforts with their sleep patterns, non-stop crying, puking and pooing outside of the nappy.

Whippetdays · 02/03/2017 20:02

Or some bits around TTC acronyms?
BFP - big fat positive
BFN - big fat negative
Or the the usual ivf ones like
Stimming - to stimulate ovaries with synthetic hormones
OE - own egg
OHSS - ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (grim yes several times)

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