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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tummy time, carpet time etc.

106 replies

Correlation · 15/03/2023 12:00

Does anyone else find these terms irritating?

Other unrelated terms/phrases/words I find really annoying:

”The community”
”My journey”
”Mental health”
”Empowering/empower/empowered”

I’ve heard all of these this morning.

OP posts:
follyfoot37 · 16/03/2023 07:08

Correlation · 15/03/2023 12:20

@Sqqueeeeeeee bloody hell that’s a bit of a stretch! I only said I find them irritating. Jesus Christ.

You cannot criticise MH on MN!
Even though, as I mentioned in a previous response, everyone has 'mental health' just as everyone has blood pressure. But you don't hear people walking round saying 'I've got bp' when they have an issue, they have descriptors such as hypertension or hypertension.

In the same way, mh issues have descriptors such as depression. So use the correct descriptor rather than the generic and incorrect 'mh'

follyfoot37 · 16/03/2023 07:10

Chickenly · 15/03/2023 12:17

But that wouldn’t be accurate. The word is “mental health” - psychological and psychiatric services aren’t the same things. Words mean what they mean.

Show quote history

Mental health is 2 words

Squamata · 16/03/2023 07:10

I was all ready to say no but then I realised it is annoying!
Journey as in 'my breastfeeding journey' or 'ivf journey' fucks me off

Community like 'Asian community' when they always mean a few self-appointed spokespeople

Baba is really annoying too, and mama, especially when people do it when not talking to a child eg 'baba is three now'
Or when people say 'we're a family of four!' when they have a new baby

Thinkwicebeforeyouleavemylife · 16/03/2023 07:11

Correlation · 15/03/2023 12:16

@Chickenly there’s nothing wrong with the first sentence except of course if this is true I’m really sorry.

In the second sentence you could say psychological/psychiatric services…

Lol. Do the words food, sleep, television, work, car and days of the week annoy you too? Seems like you get irritated by basic words to describe things in a way everyone understands. I know what you mean about overused phrases and annoying words but I was thinking more along the lines of 'holibobs" and '"crimbo' rather than the basic normal words you're getting upset about 😂 why do we need to use synonyms for mental health services when just saying that is easy to understand and the quickest way to communicate what you mean? Youre literally getting annoyed at people communicating efficiently.

Squamata · 16/03/2023 07:13

My other one is when people use 'they' on here for their children, as if their child will somehow be outed if people are told it's a girl or boy

follyfoot37 · 16/03/2023 07:14

Porridgeislife · 15/03/2023 12:47

How could you be annoyed with tummy time?

Do you really expect health visitors to ask “how much time does your baby spend with his tummy adjacent to the floor to facilitate essential strengthening of his head, neck and core as a developmental precursor to learning to crawl and walk?”

use the word stomach rather than tummy. You are an adult. You don't need to use baby terms in an adult conversation.
Which brings me to adults, particularly on ITV news saying 'bub-bye' rather than good evening or good night at the close of the programme

Luredbyapomegranate · 16/03/2023 07:16

I see your point on tummy time and my journey (also me time) and empowering is overused.. these are all slightly twee phrases.

Baffled by what’s wrong with the community and mental health though, they are just straight describers.

comingoutofmycageandillbedoingjustfine · 16/03/2023 07:16

OngoingCrisis · 15/03/2023 13:06

I hate when people will post on a thread with "going against the grain here..."

Even worse when they say
'I am going to go against the grain'

Go on then off you fuck!

Scarbsbeach · 16/03/2023 07:23

“Lived experience” is my latest one - you no longer just ‘have done’, ‘gone through’ or ‘experience’ something, it’s now your ‘lived experience’ as if that validates it more…. 🙄 😱

LaMarschallin · 16/03/2023 07:43

The term "tummy time" didn't exist when I had my DDs 20+ years ago. You'd talk about whether they had head control or were rolling or crawling or any of those things that tummy time is supposed to facilitate, but it wasn't a thing in itself, iyswim.
I think it sounds a bit silly and cutsie, but gamely used it to my DD about her baby (probably a pathetic attempt to appear young and in touch Blush) only to find it's a term she's not keen on.
As for "mental health", it's the field I worked in for 30+ years and I loathe they way that phrase - and various diagnostic terms - are often completely misused now.

And a new (to me) phrase for me to dislike has cropped up on this thread: asking someone "Are you broken?" seems very unpleasant.
I think having gone on about how important the term "mental health" is, the poster found they couldn't exactly say "Are you mad?".
I don't see why not liking a particular term makes the OP damaged. Afaics, she wasn't criticising people with poor mental health themselves, just the way the term is used in general.

Chickenly · 16/03/2023 08:48

follyfoot37 · 16/03/2023 07:01

Oh, calm down
These are tired, over-used terms ffs
What does mh mean anyway? I have blood pressure, but then again, so does everyone. I have mh, as does everyone. What we need is a qualifying statement with the term bp or mh to indicate why it is deviating from usual parameters
And as for my journey. Dear feckin god that's been done to death. What you are doing is living, like 8 billion people do every day; a journey ffs...

Show quote history

You have a problem with the term “blood pressure”? 😁

Chickenly · 16/03/2023 08:53

LaMarschallin · 16/03/2023 07:43

The term "tummy time" didn't exist when I had my DDs 20+ years ago. You'd talk about whether they had head control or were rolling or crawling or any of those things that tummy time is supposed to facilitate, but it wasn't a thing in itself, iyswim.
I think it sounds a bit silly and cutsie, but gamely used it to my DD about her baby (probably a pathetic attempt to appear young and in touch Blush) only to find it's a term she's not keen on.
As for "mental health", it's the field I worked in for 30+ years and I loathe they way that phrase - and various diagnostic terms - are often completely misused now.

And a new (to me) phrase for me to dislike has cropped up on this thread: asking someone "Are you broken?" seems very unpleasant.
I think having gone on about how important the term "mental health" is, the poster found they couldn't exactly say "Are you mad?".
I don't see why not liking a particular term makes the OP damaged. Afaics, she wasn't criticising people with poor mental health themselves, just the way the term is used in general.

“Are you broken?” is a quote from the TV show Inbetweeners and refers to when someone is saying something that makes no sense.

ScramblePud · 16/03/2023 08:57

Chickenly · 16/03/2023 08:53

“Are you broken?” is a quote from the TV show Inbetweeners and refers to when someone is saying something that makes no sense.

Show quote history

More specifically, it’s for when someone is talking nonsense because they’re trying to sound “cool” or “edgy” or “impressive” but completely misjudged it and missed the mark.

Marchforward · 16/03/2023 08:58

Correlation · 15/03/2023 12:16

@Chickenly there’s nothing wrong with the first sentence except of course if this is true I’m really sorry.

In the second sentence you could say psychological/psychiatric services…

But psychological and psychiatric services are both different. It wouldn’t make sense and it’s much more of a mouthful. Also mental health can be in a good state in which case you don’t need medical services so which term would you use then?

SlashBeef · 16/03/2023 09:02

I do find "journey" mildly irritating. Absolutely everything has to be a journey.

LaMarschallin · 16/03/2023 09:03

"Are you broken?” is a quote from the TV show Inbetweeners and refers to when someone is saying something that makes no sense.

Ah! That's my ignorance, then - I'm aware of "The Imbetweeners" but don't watch it, so didn't know that phrase.
I take that comment back then and thanks for the explanation.
My bad (a phrase which I suspect may appear on this thread Grin).

Lockheart · 16/03/2023 09:08

I'd also like to add 'gaslighting' - as it is used on MN / social media.

Gaslighting is serious psychological abuse. It is not:

  • anyone who thinks you're wrong
  • anyone you disagree with or who argues with you
  • anyone who provides you with evidence contrary to your point of view
  • it is not even anyone who tells a straight up lie

For example, OP and her DH/DP have an argument. She says X, he says Y. Posters: "he's gaslighting you, OP".

Lesvacances · 16/03/2023 09:13

Catspyjamas17 · 16/03/2023 02:27

I guess that instead of using terms like recession, cost of living crisis, energy crisis, immigration crisis, deliberate underfunding of public services, massive NHS waiting lists, Brexit, massive staff and skills shortages, education system on its knees, rise in crime, not enough police officers, industrial action, massive rise in poverty, super rich getting massively richer, we could just use the shorthand Conservative government.

Yep!

Snaketime · 16/03/2023 09:14

Correlation · 15/03/2023 12:10

@Chickenly well people could say how they feel rather than using the term “mental health”.

I say my mental health is had because nobody actually cares that I am really struggling with every day life, suffering from anxiety and panic attacks and often think about hurting myself.

WandaWonder · 16/03/2023 09:14

Take it to the next level

WandaWonder · 16/03/2023 09:16

Food journey/porn (change food for anything else unrelated to journey or porn)

Find myself (why where do you think you are?)

Basically any expression common in the last 10 or so years

SoupDragon · 16/03/2023 09:22

follyfoot37 · 16/03/2023 07:14

use the word stomach rather than tummy. You are an adult. You don't need to use baby terms in an adult conversation.
Which brings me to adults, particularly on ITV news saying 'bub-bye' rather than good evening or good night at the close of the programme

Show quote history

Do you mean "abdomen"? If their stomach is on the floor you have a serious medical emergency.

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 16/03/2023 09:54

It annoys me when people say "mental health" when they mean mental illness/mental health problems/mental health issues/whatever else you could say that actually means you're having a problem with your mental health.

EternalSunshine19 · 16/03/2023 09:57

I can't stand when people on MN say " name change for this because it's outing". You don't have to tell us you've changed your name or the reason why, just get to the point of your thread

follyfoot37 · 16/03/2023 12:26

Chickenly · 16/03/2023 08:48

You have a problem with the term “blood pressure”? 😁

Show quote history

Read the post properly. I used blood pressure as an example. We all have bp, we all have mh. It's about describing the issue