Most annoying modern parenting lingo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its pretty clear that the people that have a problem calling it "school" are the people that think fulltime working moms that send their children to fulltime care at a centers are bad. I have a 2 yo and a 3.5 yo at fulltime care in a center that has structed learning and college educated caretakers. We think this arrangement is preferrable to our kids rather then a babysitter/nanny. They have structured classes grouping the kids by age and development. They have a regular schedule that includes independent play, circle time, story time, meal and nap time, lessons related to letters and numbers, playground time, foreign language direction, music, arts and crafts etc. That is exactly what they have in other sorts of preschools - just more hours. We call it school, we call the caretakers "teachers." Those are perfectly appropriate designations. Some of you can be bothered by it if you like, but the term is not innaccurrate.

I think the people bothered by "school" are people who SAH (and maybe those with nannies). Some office moms act like they are better than SAHMs ("I just need the adult stimultion!" "It would be so hard if I only had my kid to talk to." "I need the intellectual stimulation") and imply that they are making better choices for their kids because their kids are getting socialized, etc. So when they have these attitudes and then call daycare "school" -- like it's this awesome thing for their kid, it's very irritating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why not instill the concept of "going to school" early? I don't see what the big deal is.

It's not a big deal, and really none of the peeves cited in this thread are big deals (hence the thread title, "annoying.")

Calling schedule-driven babysitting "school" (9 a.m. - 10 a.m.: outdoor time; 10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.: snack; 10:30 - 11 a.m.: play with big toys in center of the carpeted room) is a way to make working parents feel better. That's why they do it. It's not a crime, it's just transparent and annoying.

I'm impressed that people even have the spare time and energy even to get annoyed at such little things. I can't say I've ever devoted so much time to considering whether my DS should call it school or daycare, or play yards versus playpens, or any of the silliness in this thread. Is something like "babywearing" a little silly? I guess (and I say this as a devoted Ergo fan). Eh. Let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its pretty clear that the people that have a problem calling it "school" are the people that think fulltime working moms that send their children to fulltime care at a centers are bad.

Really? You're sure about that are you?

Well I guess I'm more informed now. This is news to me because I am a full time working mom and my son does go to a center. Gee thanks.. now I know what I think of myself!

[Anonymous]

I love the cluck-cluck moms who take the time to read these threads and then chastise everyone else for being so trivial to create the thread in the first place. Either you're too brainy and busy to care, or you're not.

In the spirit of calling out newly-created euphemistic parenting terms: a pull-up is still a diaper. One without tabs, yes, but it's still a diaper.

[Anonymous]

I got annoyed with "school" as a word for daycare because my two year old was upset that friends went to "school" and we wouldn't send him (his friends would ask why he didn't go). So we had to explain daycare to our child, and make a point of calling it daycare. Then we had to answer questions about why his friends called it school. Then we had to explain why he didn't need to correct his friends when they called it school. Not the end of the world, but annoying.

That said, I hate "playdate" the most. I vowed never to use it, but have fallen in to the bad habit in response to its overwhelming usage. This discussion has made me more resolved to avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous[b wrote:]"calm your body"[/b]
"listen to my words"

gross.

Oh my, I have never heard that! Like goodness, don't tell a kid to sit still it might offend his delicate psyche and send him to therapy. This is probably the same kid who didn't lose the game, he was the "second winner."

I must say, though, when my son wiggles his body so much that he falls off his chair, "Calm your body" seems appropriate! (Though I've never heard the term until now!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the cluck-cluck moms who take the time to read these threads and then chastise everyone else for being so trivial to create the thread in the first place. Either you're too brainy and busy to care, or you're not.

In the spirit of calling out newly-created euphemistic parenting terms: a pull-up is still a diaper. One without tabs, yes, but it's still a diaper.

It's a nappy, dammit! ;P

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Natural Childbirth. My childbirth educator at Sibley said "all childbirth is natural." So, you either had a vaginal birth or a c-section.

Hate to say it, because I am NOT a judgmental "everyone must do the same thing" type of person, but c'mon, you know that a c-section is not "natural!" Natural, in this case, means unadulterated by medical procedure. The strictest interpretation means no drugs (things that alter the way the body works) whatsoever. Some folks will say a pitocin birth, if the mom did not have an epidural "natural" childbirth, but it probably isn't. But who cares? Did you have a happy healthy child and feel good about your birth? Then you had a GOOD birth, and isn't that what matters more than objecting to factual description of someone else's birth?

Signed, someone whose natural childbirth was actually natural, but doesn't think it was better than anyone else's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Natural Childbirth. My childbirth educator at Sibley said "all childbirth is natural." So, you either had a vaginal birth or a c-section.

Hate to say it, because I am NOT a judgmental "everyone must do the same thing" type of person, but c'mon, you know that a c-section is not "natural!" Natural, in this case, means unadulterated by medical procedure. The strictest interpretation means no drugs (things that alter the way the body works) whatsoever. Some folks will say a pitocin birth, if the mom did not have an epidural "natural" childbirth, but it probably isn't. But who cares? Did you have a happy healthy child and feel good about your birth? Then you had a GOOD birth, and isn't that what matters more than objecting to factual description of someone else's birth?

Signed, someone whose natural childbirth was actually natural, but doesn't think it was better than anyone else's.

Agree. I had a c-section and there was nothing natural about it.

[Anonymous]

The OVER-use of "special needs." My friend's kid had a small motor delay and she said to me, numerous times, "well, since so-and-so is special needs." C'MON! It was a delay that was rectified in a few months with a little PT. How is that special needs? A kid with CP? Yes. One with Autism? Yes. The fact that your kid walked a little later than others? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the cluck-cluck moms who take the time to read these threads and then chastise everyone else for being so trivial to create the thread in the first place. Either you're too brainy and busy to care, or you're not.

In the spirit of calling out newly-created euphemistic parenting terms: a pull-up is still a diaper. One without tabs, yes, but it's still a diaper.

LOL. Even my 3.5 year old told me the other night, gave me an eyeroll and said "mom, it's a diaper" when I said we had to put his night-time pull-up on.

[Anonymous]

So confused about the "school" issue. My 3 year old goes to preschool. We call it school. All of her teachers have degrees and are teachers. That said, my little on goes to a home daycare. We lovingly refer to it as "school" as her "home daycare providers" are the smartest, most loving teachers she will ever have. Not to mention that she is learning so much every day. What's the big deal? I work part time, used to work full time and stil can't figure out what this has to do with working parent v. stay at home.
Really? You're going to "correct" a child for calling his daycare "school?" Some line is seriously being crossed here.
And yes, I think this thread is definitely just another way to vent and bring eachother down. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So confused about the "school" issue. My 3 year old goes to preschool. We call it school. All of her teachers have degrees and are teachers. That said, my little on goes to a home daycare. We lovingly refer to it as "school" as her "home daycare providers" are the smartest, most loving teachers she will ever have. Not to mention that she is learning so much every day. What's the big deal? I work part time, used to work full time and stil can't figure out what this has to do with working parent v. stay at home.
Really? You're going to "correct" a child for calling his daycare "school?" Some line is seriously being crossed here.
And yes, I think this thread is definitely just another way to vent and bring eachother down. Ugh.

It's true. I don't pretend that my toddler is getting some ridiculous educational experience. Our Bright Horizons center is great - she learns a lot and has fun and most importantly is loved by and loves her providers/teachers/caregivers whatever you call them and that is all I care about. We slip into calling it school sometimes because my mom calls it "nursery school" - a very 1970s word.

I just don't like the double standard: some of the stay at home moms in my new mom's support group insisted on planning weekly "play dates" when our group ended at 3 months. Please. It's not a freakin' play date. As someone already posted above, it's so you guys can get the hell out of the house and drink coffee and bond with other moms and talk with other adults. No problem with it, but you can't have it both ways. Your infant is not getting some premiere socialization experience - you are hanging out with other moms. Just as mine is not taking algebra and physics at daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So confused about the "school" issue. My 3 year old goes to preschool. We call it school. All of her teachers have degrees and are teachers. That said, my little on goes to a home daycare. We lovingly refer to it as "school" as her "home daycare providers" are the smartest, most loving teachers she will ever have. Not to mention that she is learning so much every day. What's the big deal? I work part time, used to work full time and stil can't figure out what this has to do with working parent v. stay at home.
Really? You're going to "correct" a child for calling his daycare "school?" Some line is seriously being crossed here.
And yes, I think this thread is definitely just another way to vent and bring each other down. Ugh.

I strenuously agree.

[Anonymous]

"EBF" / exclusively breast feeding. In case people weren't impressed enough that you are simply breast feeding, you can take it up a notch to exclusively . We get it. Breast yes, bottle no. Very good. And I say this as someone who was all-boob, all the time for the first few months. EBF? BFD.

"Spirited child." It's called misbehaving.

"Redshirting." Top high school recruits get redshirted so that their rotator cuffs can mature before they play a complete game against Ohio State. Five-year-old boys (spirited or not) whose parents are concerned that they are too young for their grade level are held back, not redshirted.

DCUM. Am I the only person who thinks that this word is slightly pornographic?