Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
SugarNspices · 22/01/2023 20:59

People who refer to their kids even as adults as my baby it's clearly a term of endearment. Like I may say it to my 6 year old (like I say my love or darling)
I think a baby in age is from 6-12ish months until they are first walking then a toddler from when they are walking until around 3, a preschooler until school age.

Mars27 · 22/01/2023 20:59

Aurorabored · 22/01/2023 20:55

What do you think they become at 6 months?

OP said herself is not a parent so probably she thinks that at 6 months they can enter the workforce, enlist on the army and start doing chores around the house. DNFTT!

CarolDunne · 22/01/2023 20:59

I have told my babies when they are 40 they will still be my baby

crookedhoosie · 22/01/2023 20:59

My brother is 47. He's still the baby.

LaFemmeDamnee · 22/01/2023 21:00

I greet my children (8&6) with an enthusiastic cry of "ma baaaayeees!" OP would hate it. Makes me laugh. They'll always be my babies.

Festivemoose · 22/01/2023 21:00

Have you ever seen a 7 month old?

NewNameNigel · 22/01/2023 21:00

I did a google image search for a 7 month old and got this picture. Are you really saying you would cringe if you heard someone describe this as a baby OP?

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 22/01/2023 21:00

At 6 months they should be out there making a mark in the world, not lying about farting and gurgling and permitting their besotted parents to refer to them as 'my baby'.

Tut.

Renlea · 22/01/2023 21:01

Never met a 7 month old man

dinozzo · 22/01/2023 21:02

My Darling baby son died over 2 years ago at the age of 22, he is still my baby boy, my love and my darling, although he wasn't a baby when he died, he is always will be my baby boy x

Newuser82 · 22/01/2023 21:02

Zola1 · 22/01/2023 20:44

Round here (area wise), the youngest child in a family is 'the baby'. So we will say, will you put the baby's bath on, will you watch the baby a minute.. she's 2.5.

I do this about my son. He has just turned 4 🙈. He is the baby of the family. Must stop at some point!

Muffinmctuffin · 22/01/2023 21:02

@Tandora I know, but she also said, over the age of 6 months which is why I said, up to 2 I think is ok but over that, I also cringe a bit! (Mostly when it's older or adult children though tbh)

I can't ever see it bothering me enough to start a thread on mumsnet though 😂

SnapBang · 22/01/2023 21:02

Well they are my babies and always will be. I really don’t care how old they are. I don’t refer to them as “a baby” though, only as MY babies. Only to them, not to others.

Lemonsandlimez · 22/01/2023 21:02

My mil calls my husband and his siblings "my baby" all 30+ 🤣

Tabitha888 · 22/01/2023 21:03

You just don't get it because you don't have kids!

QwertyBert · 22/01/2023 21:03

i refer to my daughter as ‘my baby’ and she’s 20 months old. I realise she’s a toddler, but she’s my first and it went very quick and it’s mad that she’s not a baby anymore.

mixedrecycling · 22/01/2023 21:04

I think you are confusing the meaning of 'baby' as immature, and 'baby' as unconditionally loved child

AlwaysGinPlease · 22/01/2023 21:05

tocas · 22/01/2023 20:42

So as not to drip feed I have not got any children hence why I think I may be BU.

and there you have it!

Ginger1982 · 22/01/2023 21:05

tocas · 22/01/2023 20:42

So as not to drip feed I have not got any children hence why I think I may be BU.

YOU DON'T SAY!

Dogdogwoofwoof · 22/01/2023 21:05

CarolDunne · 22/01/2023 20:59

I have told my babies when they are 40 they will still be my baby

Haha. I tell my kids that when they are old and grey they will still be my babies. 😍

MrsRandom123 · 22/01/2023 21:05

My (1st) baby is nearly 13. She will always be my baby even 20 years from now. I don’t use “baby” in every day conversations but yabu & one day if you have a baby you might feel differently

SoggyBananaLoaf · 22/01/2023 21:06

What a silly thread!

GoAgainstNicki · 22/01/2023 21:06

😂😂😂 wtf. My 9 month old is certainly a baby. Poor boy can’t even sit up on his own yet!

I agree with @QwertyBert comment. I have a 20 month old and of course I know she’s technically a toddler. I just don’t understand where the time’s gone! They’ll both always be my babies tbh

Penguinsaregreat · 22/01/2023 21:06

My children are and always will be my babies. They are adults!!

GoAgainstNicki · 22/01/2023 21:07

If I posted a picture of my 9 month old right now, there’s no way you could tell me I shouldn’t refer to him as a baby😂