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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:
Whippetdays · 02/03/2017 19:56

What about FF formula fed. Or EBM expressed breast milk?
Also CIO crying it out :-(

I have more that's just a starter for six ;-)

GiraffesAndButterflies · 02/03/2017 19:25

'Latch' as a noun- as in, the baby's attachment to its mother's breast.

ProfAnnieT · 02/03/2017 17:35

screen-time - the amount of time children are allowed to spend on digital devices.

Callmecordelia · 02/03/2017 17:00

I had a look, and although this word is in the dictionary, the examples are very old.

Key worker is a term understood by almost all parents who have used an Early Years setting, and is quite common in conversation - "DD's key worker said she did X the other day."

Also have a look at the different types of parenting. Attachment parenting would yield a few - baby wearing, co sleeping, ring sling. That sort of thing.

MarriedinMaui · 02/03/2017 15:57

I'm not sure if these count, of if they are phrases rather than words, but I just checked and they are not in:
Natural term weaning - breastfeeding until the baby stops naturally
Gentle parenting - google it!

GrubReport · 02/03/2017 15:56

"Core breach" or simply "breach": diaper that has started to leak solids through the legs.

"Coolant leak": diaper that leaks liquid matter.

Februaryrat · 02/03/2017 15:33

The Circle of Neglect: a Jumperoo

Februaryrat · 02/03/2017 15:32

A 'shituation': a poo that is likely to require two adults, a whole pack of baby wipes, a bath (for everyone involved) and possibly a new nursery carpet,

daffodillsarehere · 02/03/2017 15:07

Pungle - the bumps and loops of hair that stick up when you put hair up in a ponytail or other and which can make little girls go crazy that their hair isn't smooth!

Even more likely if you have curly or wavy hair and even more frustrating trying to get rid of them.

asuwere · 02/03/2017 14:33

I put forward 'poonami' - understood by most parents (that I know anyway) and I'm sure most parents have experienced it at some point. (Definition, if needed, is a big poo explosion in a nappy which leaks out, usually up the baby's back, down their legs and if you're really unlucky all over the parent too!)

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