"my ds is 2.5" or is he?

[Multifacetediguana]

A bit of mathematical pedantry here. I am surprised that this bothers me tbh as I am an English teacher, but when people refer to their dcs' ages in this way they are not using the dot as a decimal point are they? So 2.5 means 2 years 5 months rather than 2 years 6 months?

Does this bother anyone else? I think we should say 2y5m. That is all.

Yes it bothers me!

I would read 2.5 as 2 years 5 months on here, but I wouldn't use it anywhere else.

People do use shortcuts on here and I think this is well accepted, so it doesn't bother me.

I'd read it as 2 and a half, but I've learnt that most mums mean it as 2 years 5 months as I've seen a few .11's and no one would mean anything other than 11 months for that. Live and learn

Good question. I would read it as 2yrs 6 mths but I have often wondered the same thing.

Bothers me too! Thought it was just me though...

Glad it's not just me, it really bothers me!

It did bother me, in that I noticed it, but it is much easier than writing 5/12ths as a decimal.

2.5 = 2 and 6 months
2.4166666 recurring = 2 and 5 months
2.11 = 2 years, 1 month and 3 days

DH suggests we use 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 ----2.9, 2.a, 2.b

(like computer geeks Hex 0,1--a, b, -f giving a 16 character system)

If it's any help, at 2.5, the month's difference isn't going to be very signficant. Not like a baby who was 0.5, then a month is a long time.

I've always assumed that 2.5 meant 2 yrs 6 m.

Nice name, chickenfeet. I ate you at lunchtime.

it's a shortcut that's helpful on here.

2y5m takes too long. 2.5 is fine.

This also irritated me, then I grew accustomed to it. I like your 2y5m suggestion, actually correct and only one extra character to type.

I have no problem with the shortcut, but it is ambiguous. If some writes 2.10 it's clear that they mean 2y10m, but 2.5 could be 2y6m or 2.5y depending on what convention the poster is using.

And given that some posters (not often, but I have seen it) put "DS17" to mean a 17yo DS, not their 17th son, it's clear that even shortcuts with 'rules' on here can be misunderstood.

Clearly I meant "2y6m or 2y5m"

Yes it bothers me. 2y5 would be the same amount of typing with no confusion

it annoys me when used as 2 years 5 months. if u put 2.5 I would think two and a half too. liking 2y5m.

Even though I agree it's incorrect, it doesn't bother me too much (and I can be very pedantic ). And even where there is confusion about the precise age (e.g. does 2.5 mean 2y5m or 2y6m?) it makes so little difference that it doesn't really matter. And it is a kind of Mumsnet shorthand which I wouldn't actually use or see anywhere else.

I also use 2.30pm which again is not actually a decimal - I think technically it should be 2:30pm.

It's not a decimal point, it's just a divider between the year and month.

Like 5' 2 meaning five feet two inches.

I don't think it's confusing because I don't think anyone would ever think "two point five" for "two and a half" or "two years six months".

I describe my DS2 as 2.5, by which I mean around about 2 and a half. Having just counted, he's just coming up to 2 years 8 months, but that still fits my very rough idea of two and a half. After a certain point, I'll consider him to be 'nearly 3'. I don't think anyone cares exactly how old he is. If they did, they'd ask me what his date of birth was, not how old he is.

BusinessTrills: I would definitely think 2.5 = 2 and a half. The 2 years 5 months think never occurred to me til I opened this thread.

What I mean is that in your head you would think "Ben is two and a half" and then write "DS is 2 1/2" or "DS is 2.5" but you wouldn't think "dee ess is two point five"

I always assumed 2.5 was 2 and a half until I saw 2.11. Was always impressed that mners mental maths were so good

Well yes. I'd write 2.5 and think 2 and a half. I associate spoken decimals only with helping with DS1's maths homework.