It's messed up to affectionately call a baby "sexy"

[sintnabo]

I'm on my third baby. With each baby my mum has affectionately used the phrase "you sexy baby"
This is messed up, right?

I've told her several times not to say it, especially with my 2nd as I'd have been mortified if my eldest repeated it in public and someone thought she'd learned that from me.
5 years after my 2nd and the other day I heard her say it again to my 3rd baby. I was busy in another room at the time so haven't brought it up again, but she has a habit of not listening and doing/saying mostly harmless but bloody stupid things around my kids, so WIBU, when she inevitably says it again, to make sure, in no uncertain terms, that it's a moronic and disturbing thing to say to a BABY?
I'd sooner my kids were caught swearing than repeating something like that... but I can't put my finger on why it's so irritating and cringe worthy.

YANBU, it's horrible and very inappropriate.

But then, the colloquial meaning of sexy has broadened enormously. My otherwise sane colleagues use it to describe slide decks they find attractive. Not in that sense.

God, I hope noone finds PowerPoint presentations attractive in that way - that would make most your garden variety fetishes seem very tame in comparison.

Most people find it inappropriate but in 37 years on this planet, I've met three people who see sexy as a synonym of cute and not at all laden with subtext. Baffling and uncomfortable, but clearly a thing. All you can do is explain again.

I've heard people describe a horse as sexy. Nothing surprises me any more

I know somebody who calls her kids sexy. Weird AF

YANBU.

Start calling her a tart. Say it’s affectionate. ‘Could you make me a cup of tea, you tart - What’s wrong? Some people use it affectionately!’
Her ‘but to most people it’s an insult!’
You ‘yes, and to most people sexy means ‘I would fancy having sexual intercourse given the chance’.

Yes, but I agree the meaning has broadened nowadays.

My otherwise sane colleagues use it to describe slide decks they find attractive.

Yes, this. 'Sexing up' a PowerPoint is something that people in my office are frequently required to do. It's nuts.

No that’s very weird. YANBU.

Sexualising children is part of the pornification of society. It’s not ok.

Say to her that only paedophiles find young children sexy.

I can't stand it either. I have seen people say it on Facebook and I want to cringe.

I know someone who calls her sons sexy and posts pictures of them online with comments like “my big sexy boy”. I hate it.

Yanbu.

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.

I met a lot of people who called babies and toddlers sexy when I still lived in the UK. I was about 12 the first time I remember hearing it and even then found it horribly inappropriate. People seemed to feel it was fine and just another strange-but-fine thing people say to/about small children, like, say 'I could eat you up I love you so'. It's not though, it's revolting and there's no excuse for it.

A cousin’s girlfriend called my toddler sexy, I literally recoiled in shock, what a weird thing to say, I asked her not to say it again.

I would definitely make sure she knows not to say it again, it's something I've heard a lot of people say and it sound's awful, really inappropriate!

I have a relative who puts pictures of her toddler son on FB captioned with "my sexy lil man!!!"
Makes me want to vom.

Yes, this. 'Sexing up' a PowerPoint is something that people in my office are frequently required to do.

On a side note: I did - only once - print the entire presentation out and put a pair of (obviously new and unworn) undies on the stack of paper and put it on my boss' desk.

They all thought it was hilarious and that it technically did exactly what was required, but it hasn't stopped the proliferation of sexy slides.

It’s repulsive.

It’s totally messed up and I agree I’d rather hear a child swear than describe themselves as sexy! The first time I took my baby for professional photos the photographer kept saying “you’re so bootilicious” to my 3 month old and it put me off so much I couldn’t buy any of the photos because I thought every time I look at them I’d hear the word bootilicious!

lol @ tart...

Yeah it sounds horrible. I HATE it when people say to me "good girl" in sentences for doing something well, yuck, and I think sexy is worse than that. Call her a sexy bitch and see what she says!

I've never actually heard anyone call a baby sexy but would definitely make me a bit . Saying that, my DH calls cars sexy. That also makes me

I call my kids gorgeous. Someone told me I shouldn't because one day someone else will tell them they're ugly. That was very odd!

YADNBU. As a midwife I've heard this several times on the postnatal ward and whilst doing postnatal visits. It's gross and really turns my stomach.

It's awful, I hate it.

I was in Asda the other week and the woman monitoring the self-checkout kept calling my 8 month old "sexy boy".

YANBU, that's gross :(

I would be really weirded out if someone called my toddler sexy.

I know what you mean!
My mum as on occasion done this!
My 3yr old son was running about with just his undies on and my mum said "ohh sexy bum"
She is 78 and just does not think

I don’t like it,but I don’t think it has sinister connotations when those folk say it