To tell people that my twins are five?

[lukasiak]

Even though they technically don't turn five until November?

Dh is in a right hump about it. He thinks by me telling everybody that they are already five that it makes people place age inappropriate expectations on them. I think it's all just semantics, and those who actually need to know their real age know it. It's a bad habit I picked up from my mother, and my older children have survived me rounding their age up once their birthdays drew close with out being labelled as having additional needs, as seems to be DH's primary concern.

Is it really that big of a deal?

OP , That is extremely bizarre...... Why not just say ''They'll be five in November''? Or, as others have said break it down into years and months if it matters that much.

My mum used to do somthing similar and it was utterly bizzarre

Shed say to me "Your nearly 15 now!" In reality i had just turned 14 ect. She used to always say we were older than we were. It's bizzarre

Your children are 4 until they're 5, so why not say they are 4?

@lukasiak

Lol, it's pretty much unanimous. Can I just clear up that I don't tell them they're five. They know full well that they are four. It's just in my head that they're five, and when random people ask (happens a lot because they've identical twins and therefore a side show attraction when out in public), I typically without thinking reply that they're five.

So you tell random strangers that the twins are 5, while the DC are with you/listening? doesn't that confuse the children?

And what about special birthdays? It's a rite of passage to be 'double figures' or reach teenage or 16, 18 etc. The celebration is rather diluted if you've been telling people they're already that age for 5 months.

Very, very odd.

You are very odd. Why are you adding time on unnecessarily?

I'd say 4 and a half or just four.

Then a month before the next birthday I say nearly 5 or 5 in a few weeks.

Abit weird to be saying in July they are five lol!! They are 4 and a half. Not five for 16-18 weeks lol

@Billben

How on earth can a child skate before they can even walk ?

That just makes no sense. I can tolerate people exaggerating a little bit but when they are talking absolute bollocks I’ve got no time for them anymore.

You hold onto their hands and glide along, therefore they glide along. Or you sit them on a penguin and push them. It's really not that hard. Everybody does it. It's like babies who 'ride' horses.

I can't add much beyond what other posters have said. You're being weird and it's unfair to your children. This is not normal behavior. You need to stop it.

I'm genuinely interested to know, do you ever comfort your children when they are having tantrums?

Are you quite well, OP?

Before they can walk? No. What skates would they even have on? It's just bullshit. Ice rinks dont allow you to drag actual babies around by the hand on ice.

How bizarre OP.

They're 4 until their birthday and then they are 5.

I can understand saying 'nearly 5' in the month before their birthday, but they're currently 4 and a half.

You wouldn't say you're 39 when you're 38 so why do it with children?

This is so weird

What do you say if people ask when they are six 😂

Absolutely batshit!

The ice skating bit of this thread is weirder than the age bit.

Absolutely batshit! Yes, that’s the word.

Very weird. Soon, when they start telling people their actual ages will you be jumping in and making them a year older? I'm with your DH on this and everyone else.

I bet they're 4 when you have to pay for things when they're 5... Eg tickets to attractions

You hold onto their hands and glide along, therefore they glide along. Or you sit them on a penguin and push them.

PMSL. By that reckoning, pushing them in a pram means they can walk.

No, they couldn't skate.

This is the weirdest, most batshit confusing, and stupidest thing I have ever read on here.

@Chungus

Before they can walk? No. What skates would they even have on? It's just bullshit. Ice rinks dont allow you to drag actual babies around by the hand on ice.

You buy them online. They have double blades to make them easier to balance. You're welcome to google search them, or youtube it. Lots of videos of babies ice-skating out there. We're talking about a sport that 99% of professionals started before the age of 5.

Odd. They are 4 not 5. Different school year etc. In October you could say they are 5 next month but other than that odd.

So they couldn't skate before they could walk, they could be pushed on a penguin before they could walk.

That's like me saying my baby could ride a horse before he could walk, no he couldn't. He could have someone hold him on a horse.

@Smellbellina

If you actually think a child is being abused maybe you should flag it to Mumsnet. If not, don't say things like that.

Is that an MN rule or just what you think should happen?

If I thought a child was in danger at day school, I would flag it to the appropriate person, child protection officer at school or social services rather than just talk about it in the playground. So yes.