Most annoying modern parenting lingo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i think this thread should be retitled "Thread Drift 101".

Lol! Er, I mean, "hahhahha."

[Anonymous]

I remember reading somewhere that for the youngest kids, referring to yourself in the third person made what you say easier to understand. And I apologize, I don't remember the whole piece, but the gist was that saying "Mama wants you to _____" was a more concrete idea for toddlers, easier for them to grasp than "I want you to _____."



Yes, because young kids don't understand pronouns.

Since we've already drifted, can I ask at what age I can become "I" again?

I have the sense it makes my H cringe when I say "Mommy will" whatever.

[Anonymous]

I've never done much in the way of referring to myself in the 3rd person, but my toddler does it anyway. Both herself, and me: "Mama go to work? Mama stay here with [toddler]?"

(And I don't care if people are annoyed. It's so freakin' cute it brings a tear to my eye.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Positive discipline is simply coined from psychologists for positive and negative reinforcement. So sorry to tell you folks, but there is actually a science behind it and recommended uses for behavioral psychology. Think animal trainers.

OH now I get it. Parents are now Behavioral Psychologists and not just parents. That puts a whole new spin on the whole school vs. daycare debate.

[Anonymous]

Parents who refer to caring for their own child as babysitting.

The lingo that has resulted from reading too many parenting books. How did our ancestors ever manage to raise/rear their kids without books to tell them how to do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did our ancestors ever manage to raise/rear their kids without books to tell them how to do it?

I have no idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really doesn't matter what you call it. Once your kids get a little older, all of this focus on how they were born seems absolutely bizarre. It's one day of their live, one day of yours for each kid. Look through a room full of first graders and you will not be able to tell who got an epidural and who was born into a bathtub full of Unicorn Dust blessed by the Goddess of Placenta.

How we handle our pregnancy and labor is the first of many tests of our mettle as a mothers-- the instinct to do right by this little one and the will to show everyone else that we are great mothers kicks in about five seconds after the plus sign on the pee stick turns pink. So your talent for dilating and your hormones and your kegels and your doctor and your stamina in dealing with contractions is very important at that time. And boy are those "natural" people more successful!! All of the babies come out but theirs come out so naturally. Ah, to be a "natural" at dilating. To be an artist at effacing. It's only a matter of time before this translates to angelic children whose Yale acceptances arrived in 6th grade.

Except that it doesn't matter. If you loved your birth experience, great. But the childbirth industry isn't doing anyone any favors perpetuating the idea that we already have to measure up to something that first, short day.

This woman is seriously bitter about her unnatural birth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really doesn't matter what you call it. Once your kids get a little older, all of this focus on how they were born seems absolutely bizarre. It's one day of their live, one day of yours for each kid. Look through a room full of first graders and you will not be able to tell who got an epidural and who was born into a bathtub full of Unicorn Dust blessed by the Goddess of Placenta.

How we handle our pregnancy and labor is the first of many tests of our mettle as a mothers-- the instinct to do right by this little one and the will to show everyone else that we are great mothers kicks in about five seconds after the plus sign on the pee stick turns pink. So your talent for dilating and your hormones and your kegels and your doctor and your stamina in dealing with contractions is very important at that time. And boy are those "natural" people more successful!! All of the babies come out but theirs come out so naturally. Ah, to be a "natural" at dilating. To be an artist at effacing. It's only a matter of time before this translates to angelic children whose Yale acceptances arrived in 6th grade.

Except that it doesn't matter. If you loved your birth experience, great. But the childbirth industry isn't doing anyone any favors perpetuating the idea that we already have to measure up to something that first, short day.

This woman is seriously bitter about her unnatural birth.

She's hysterical. And right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I remember reading somewhere that for the youngest kids, referring to yourself in the third person made what you say easier to understand. And I apologize, I don't remember the whole piece, but the gist was that saying "Mama wants you to _____" was a more concrete idea for toddlers, easier for them to grasp than "I want you to _____."



Yes, because young kids don't understand pronouns.

Since we've already drifted, can I ask at what age I can become "I" again?

I have the sense it makes my H cringe when I say "Mommy will" whatever.

"George is getting angry!".....anytime I hear someone talking in the third person...I chuckle thinking about George from Seinfeld.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really doesn't matter what you call it. Once your kids get a little older, all of this focus on how they were born seems absolutely bizarre. It's one day of their live, one day of yours for each kid. Look through a room full of first graders and you will not be able to tell who got an epidural and who was born into a bathtub full of Unicorn Dust blessed by the Goddess of Placenta.

How we handle our pregnancy and labor is the first of many tests of our mettle as a mothers-- the instinct to do right by this little one and the will to show everyone else that we are great mothers kicks in about five seconds after the plus sign on the pee stick turns pink. So your talent for dilating and your hormones and your kegels and your doctor and your stamina in dealing with contractions is very important at that time. And boy are those "natural" people more successful!! All of the babies come out but theirs come out so naturally. Ah, to be a "natural" at dilating. To be an artist at effacing. It's only a matter of time before this translates to angelic children whose Yale acceptances arrived in 6th grade.

Except that it doesn't matter. If you loved your birth experience, great. But the childbirth industry isn't doing anyone any favors perpetuating the idea that we already have to measure up to something that first, short day.

This woman is seriously bitter about her unnatural birth.

She's hysterical. And right.

So very very true. In the big scheme of things (coming from someone with a 19 year old) the birth process loses it's wonder. There is so much more to come.

[Anonymous]

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'm a new poster in this thread. It's always struck me as the opposite: that parents who call their one-year-old's daycare center "school" must somehow think that "school" is okay but "daycare" is a dirty word. It's not! Daycare is fine! School is fine too, but they're not the same thing when you have a baby or a toddler.

[Anonymous]

"Since we've already drifted, can I ask at what age I can become "I" again?"

It depends on how many kids you have and how far apart they are spaced. I inadvertantly referred to myself in the third person this weekend with my 11 year old. Embarrassing, but I do also have a 2 year old and sometimes I forget which is which.

[Anonymous]

"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 agree and I have a nanny. Its passive aggressive to say " well parents who call daycare school are actually ashamed of the word daycare". This comment completely sounds like one of those back-handed jabs. Honestly, I have heard this many times from moms who do not use daycare and look down upon it never once from someone who actually is sincere about approving of daycare. If you do not use daycare how exactly can you possibly be in a position to judge what goes on and whether it warrants your approval to be called school?

One of the previous posters posted an example schedule for a two year old trying to make the point that circle time, story time, an artsy craft project, learning a few letters, play, nap, lunch etc were not school. Think back for a second and you'll realize that this was what kindergarten classes used to be like 30-40 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Positive discipline is simply coined from psychologists for positive and negative reinforcement. So sorry to tell you folks, but there is actually a science behind it and recommended uses for behavioral psychology. Think animal trainers.

OH now I get it. Parents are now Behavioral Psychologists and not just parents. That puts a whole new spin on the whole school vs. daycare debate.

Same poster you quoted - well, I was going to start calling myself "teacher" tomorrow b/c I'm a SAHM. I too work on letters, numbers, arts & crafts, music, socialization...

[Anonymous]

"Same poster you quoted - well, I was going to start calling myself "teacher" tomorrow b/c I'm a SAHM. I too work on letters, numbers, arts & crafts, music, socialization... "

Unless you have quads or quints, at least 4-5 kids at the same age you really do not have a group to qualify as a school. However, feel free to refer to yourself as an underpaid nanny..unless you also do housework during the day. If you do then you can not have the nanny title, you are really a housekeeper with childcare duties until your husband gets home. At this point you become a ...well enough said.