To ask why some parents do this?

[bantuknots73]

Can I ask why some parents refer to their child's age in months? For example say if a friend, family member or even someone random asks how old your child is now and you reply saying, 'oh he/she is 28 months.'
Can I ask why?

When I was a teenager I never understood why people did this but thought I just didn't understand enough about having kids😂
But even now I seriously don't understand. Isn't it easier to say 'oh he/she just turned 2?' Please let me know!! It's seriously been bugging me since joining MN😂 I saw a comment recently where someone said their child is 37 months. I was so confused!

there'd be nothing wrong with someone saying they were early 30s instead of saying 33 for whatever reason.
& there's nothing "wrong" with saying "just turned 1" instead of "15 months" - but that the latter is more meaningful.

3 years is also a big difference as opposed to 3 months.
Not developmentally! Or do you think your body and brain developed more between 30-33 years than between 12-15 months?

If I'm asking my friend/family member, 'oh how old are they again,' I'm not thinking about any development stages in my mind. Surely people don't do this unless it's the topic of conversation?
Of course they do! If a friend tells me her kid is 20 months I would be able to ask an appropriate follow up question like "have they started talking yet?"

My baby is 210 months old. I needed a calculator to work that out

I'm pregnant with DC 1 so haven't been in the situation yet. I think it depends on the person you are talking to. Like OP as a teen and honestly still now, never understood why anyone would refer to their child over 1 year in months.

I get that there would be a huge diff between a 13 month old and a 23 month old. But unless you are having a specific discussion about the child's development I don't see the point. I've only ever asked people how old their children are out of politeness.

Probably the type of gentle parent that feels little Sebastian should not apologise for pushing over other children because the thought he might have done something wrong might scar him for life. Free spirit etc. You know the type!

This made me chuckle because I know exactly what you mean!😂

If I'm asking my friend/family member, 'oh how old are they again,' I'm not thinking about any development stages in my mind. Surely people don't do this unless it's the topic of conversation?

Of course they do! If a friend tells me her kid is 20 months I would be able to ask an appropriate follow up question like "have they started talking yet?"

That's definitely the difference between you and I then because I wouldn't ask follow up questions based on their age. I'd just say ah bless them or something

@irishfarmer

I'm pregnant with DC 1 so haven't been in the situation yet. I think it depends on the person you are talking to. Like OP as a teen and honestly still now, never understood why anyone would refer to their child over 1 year in months.

I get that there would be a huge diff between a 13 month old and a 23 month old. But unless you are having a specific discussion about the child's development I don't see the point. I've only ever asked people how old their children are out of politeness.

I get that there would be a huge diff between a 13 month old and a 23 month old. But unless you are having a specific discussion about the child's development I don't see the point. I've only ever asked people how old their children are out of politeness.

Exactly this!! I've either asked out of politeness or because I was genuinely interested and wanted to know. Not because I wanted to evaluate their kids ages and wonder if they've reached certain milestones etc

That's definitely the difference between you and I then because I wouldn't ask follow up questions based on their age. I'd just say ah bless them or something

Fair enough lol. I feel like 90% of the conversations I had while on maternity leave were about developmental milestones... it did get mind-numbing after a while to be fair!

My 4.5 year old has ASD and they still count his age in months at the paediatricians.

Months are ok until they are "nearly 1". After that it is just bonkers as babies all develop at different rates so there is no need to go to to such a low level of granularity.

If anyone said their child was 20 months most people would do a mental calculation to years anyway = nearly 2.

just over 1 or was one in January
will be 2 in January or nearly 2

are descriptive enough for most people!

Months until 2 then it gets confusing.

Ludicrous. Anyone, who reaches 100 years is 1200 months old. Perhaps we should all speak in months. 😬

@DustyMaiden

I’m 717 months.

Happy quarter birthday!

Up to 18 months it's nearly everyone; an 11 month old is nothing like a 1 month old. Usage fades fast from age 2 until age 3; I've never heard anyone with a child over 3 do this and think it's a straw man. It's not something I'd stress about as it's not complex to think how old 25 months is.

For the person commenting on a premature child, I also know someone who re-dates for development milestones as she has a very premature baby. I'd say it's really worth cutting a bit of slack when someone's stressed and worried most of the time due to their baby's lung and development issues.

I think we're nearly all in agreement that up to 18 months/2 it's all good, but over that it's pretty much nuts!! Especially when you get to 48 months!

Unless there's a medical/developmental need to be more specific

It's all to do with how people perceive other peoples' opinions on their child's development I think. Like people have said, a 20 month old is much different to a 12 month old, they are both 1 but people like to say in months so people don't make comments like 'oh aren't they talking/ walking/ driving yet' because people are nosy. It shouldn't really matter how old they are as all children look and develop different. People feel like they have to comment, like oh aren't they tall/ small for their age.

My child has developmental delay. I tend to use months for several reasons, it makes me feel less sad to think he's 21 months and can't hold a pencil to nearly two and can't hold a pencil.
Referring to him to strangers in months tends to stop stupid comments like shouldn't he be x yet.
I will be left using months for a long time due to the nature of D's difficulties. Comments that this makes me a wanker are a bit

Someone on my social media refers to their kid's age in months, their child is 8 years old.

All of you with babies will love it when you get your 27m questionnaires from the health visitor

I have a friend on FB who hashtags everything when she posts photos, including her child's age in weeks! I think the latest one was #197weeksold

I’d be much more annoyed by someone querying my child’s development than someone counting their child’s age in months.

but she turned 1 three months ago so would you not consider that recent? I understand months are meaningful and shows where they should be development wise

It’s recent in adult time but 3 months is 20% of the entire time a 15 month old has been alive. So no, in a child that small it’s not really recent.

I gave up on months once he got to 1.

After then it went he turned 1 in August. Then 1 and a half. Then it would be he's 1 but 2 in August or nearly 2.

Mainly because ....I'm shit at maths and by saying that, I'd force the person asking to do the maths 😳😂

but people like to say in months so people don't make comments like 'oh aren't they talking/ walking/ driving yet' because people are nosy. It shouldn't really matter how old they are as all children look and develop different.

Ahh right this is totally understandable.
People comparing kids is unbearable as it is so this makes complete sense

@CoedenNadolig

I gave up on months once he got to 1.

After then it went he turned 1 in August. Then 1 and a half. Then it would be he's 1 but 2 in August or nearly 2.

Mainly because ....I'm shit at maths and by saying that, I'd force the person asking to do the maths 😳😂

Mainly because ....I'm shit at maths and by saying that, I'd force the person asking to do the maths 😳😂

This is so me😂😂

@Bunnycat101

All of you with babies will love it when you get your 27m questionnaires from the health visitor

Is this a joke because I didn't get a 27m questionnaire - mine was a 2 year questionnaire

@KirstenBlest

Don't worry about it bbut brush up on your 12 times table.

The one that puzzles me is why a mum was referring to her premature DC's age as his birthday being his due date.

The due date for preemies is used to calculated adjusted/corrected age until they are at least 2 years old. The time between the preemies birth and due date is doing all the development that they would have otherwise be doing in the womb, so they use the due date for normal developmental markers.

My DD was born at 24w so being able to adjust gave me a better indication of what she should be doing. She was due in August but born in April. Compared to an April baby, she was always very behind, but comparing her to an August baby was far more realistic.

The only things not adjusted were vaccines and weaning.