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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"My baby"

392 replies

tocas · 22/01/2023 20:41

Genuinely not sure if I ABU or not. It makes me cringe when people call their children over the age of about 6 months "my baby". In my eyes they just don't necessarily seem like babies any more. I can sort of understand up until 12 months but definitely not after. I've come across people calling their child of nearly two year old "my baby".
Aibu?

OP posts:
PenOrPencil · 22/01/2023 20:49

DC are 19 and 17 years old and definitely my babies. So is the dog. YABU.

Reindear · 22/01/2023 20:50

OP… what else would you call a 7 month old who is definitely a baby?!

AnotherNameChanges · 22/01/2023 20:50

My 11 year old and 9 year old are my babies and always will be :)

Mulledwineandberries · 22/01/2023 20:50

My children are 5 and 3, I always call them my babies. If I’m talking about them to someone I will say my daughter/son/toddler/school aged child. But to them I call them babies. They are and always will be my babies.

Ted27 · 22/01/2023 20:50

I still call my 18 year old my baby

Smartiepants79 · 22/01/2023 20:50

I agree with you in some ways. I don’t really like people referring to children above the age of about 2/3 as ‘just babies’, they’re not babies, they’re children with very different skills, abilities and needs.
I do however still think of my own children as ‘my babies’. I don’t speak about them that way or treat them as anything other than the preteens they are but they are my babies, I birthed them!!

MeinKraft · 22/01/2023 20:50

I call my 18 month old 'the baby' I know she's not technically a baby but she's babyish compared to my 6 year old and also who cares.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 22/01/2023 20:50

DM and DF call me their baby and I'm 38, and the oldest!

smoosandsmeds · 22/01/2023 20:50

My 18m is still referred to as baby. Haha!

Mars27 · 22/01/2023 20:50

Such a WUM, aren't you OP?

Muffinmctuffin · 22/01/2023 20:50

I actually agree. Obviously not while they're still babies (and I think anything up to about 2!) But I cringe inside when I hear older children or adults being referred to as 'my baby'. Or when people say 'my babies' and they're not.

But, live and let live, I probably do plenty of other things that make people cringe.

HappyBinosaur · 22/01/2023 20:50

My biggest baby is 17 and 9 inches taller than me 🥰 I don’t regularly refer to him as ‘my baby’ but for example when he got his first weekend job I said “my baby has got a job!!” I was proud and excited. Even though he’s obviously a young man now, time goes so fast and he’ll always be ‘my baby’.
I feel the same about my other dc too of course, and in fact the youngest was referred to as ‘the baby’ until he was about 3!!

Fluffygreenslippers · 22/01/2023 20:52

What should I call my seven month old baby then? He can’t talk, has no teeth yet and enjoys blowing bubbles. He’s literally a baby.

Tandora · 22/01/2023 20:52

Muffinmctuffin · 22/01/2023 20:50

I actually agree. Obviously not while they're still babies (and I think anything up to about 2!) But I cringe inside when I hear older children or adults being referred to as 'my baby'. Or when people say 'my babies' and they're not.

But, live and let live, I probably do plenty of other things that make people cringe.

But OP said she cringes when she hears people call their 7 month old babies , babies!

Skinnermarink · 22/01/2023 20:53

No you’re right, my 16 month old is getting ready to make his own way in the world soon. I’ll miss him but we can keep in touch. He’s not a baby anymore and it’s time for him to fend for himself 🤣

Sorry OP but you sound nuts.

PassTheCustardCreamsBarbs · 22/01/2023 20:54

This reminds me of the scene in Meet the Fockers when Gaylord tells his dad to stop talking to Little Jack like a baby. His dad says “What are you talking about? He is a baby”

YABU OP

My 2 year old is a baby

Aurorabored · 22/01/2023 20:55

What do you think they become at 6 months?

Jomummy1013 · 22/01/2023 20:56

I think it sounds cringeworthy when people refer to an adult child as 'my baby'. And I'm a parent. None of my children are adults though, and I don't call any of mine 'my baby'. Each to their own though!!

jevoudrais · 22/01/2023 20:56

In terms of saying to work colleagues 'I'm going to get the baby from nursery' she was upgraded to toddler by about 18 months. But I think 12-18 months can be a baby still. If you want to be technical it's probably 0-12 months but they aren't all 'toddling' until more like 18mo.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 22/01/2023 20:57

My 18 year old is still my first baby and my 16 year is still my little baby. That won't change 😁

SwordToFlamethrower · 22/01/2023 20:58

I call my dh "my babe", 19 year old son is my baby boy. Its a term of endearment

MeinKraft · 22/01/2023 20:58

This was a bit of an ongoing joke in motherland, they all refer to Liz's youngest as 'the baby' even when she's going to collect him from pre school.

Whatatimetobealivetoday · 22/01/2023 20:58

Under 2 = infant = baby.

Over 2 - I call them my toddler to other people but to them I call them my baby.

ReamsOfCheese · 22/01/2023 20:58

🍿

mynameiscalypso · 22/01/2023 20:58

I call my 3.5 year old 'babykins'. I cringe as I say it.