2 separate topics but one thread

[stmo1]

Wanted to say both of these thigs but didn't feel that either one was "enough" to make a post of it's own..

A) How old is a baby?? I guess this is a matter of opinion but I would say 2 years old can still be called a baby...maybe even a 3 year old makes it...but to me that's kind of the cut off age. I know you could say a 2 or 3 year old is a toddler, pre-schooler, etc , but saying you have a baby could still make sense for a 2 year old, I guess. lol.
Reason im asking your opinion is...I was recently introduced to a new couple at church who said they have a baby (key word there, "we have a baby") and were looking into what the church offers in that area.
I said I'm expecting (which is obvious lol) and so I had also been checking out the church nursery to see if I was okay with leaving my soon-to-be baby there during church services, so I understood where they were coming from, and from everything I'd seen, I was vey pleased with the care given in the nursery.
The woman then said, no, we are looking more into things like the childrens church service, Sunday school etc. For their daughter who is four, going to be five in a couple weeks.
lol. It doesn't really matter but it just threw me. When someone says, "we have a baby and we're looking into what the church offers.."
I jut don't expect the kid to be like 5. Lol
She is their only child though so maybe that's why she is still "the baby".

B) this is a whole separate thing...people on this board have said "no is a complete sentence", meaning you don't have to give reasons why you are not comfortable with doing whatever it is they want you to do...so after my whole life of having a hard time saying no to peoples crazy demands, and always feeling like I have to explain myself, I began recently taking the advice I have seen here....and I just wanted to say how I find it so funny now if someone asks you to do something and for whatever reason you don't, but they expect you to like give an excuse of whatever, but all you say is "Oh I'm sorry, I won't be able to do that". ....And theres this...pause....because they are waiting to hear your reasons why you can't do what they're asking. But you don't say anything else...lol

 

[happygirl]

Wanted to say both of these thigs but didn't feel that either one was "enough" to make a post of it's own..

A) How old is a baby?? I guess this is a matter of opinion but I would say 2 years old can still be called a baby...maybe even a 3 year old makes it...but to me that's kind of the cut off age. I know you could say a 2 or 3 year old is a toddler, pre-schooler, etc , but saying you have a baby could still make sense for a 2 year old, I guess. lol.
Reason im asking your opinion is...I was recently introduced to a new couple at church who said they have a baby (key word there, "we have a baby") and were looking into what the church offers in that area.
I said I'm expecting (which is obvious lol) and so I had also been checking out the church nursery to see if I was okay with leaving my soon-to-be baby there during church services, so I understood where they were coming from, and from everything I'd seen, I was vey pleased with the care given in the nursery.
The woman then said, no, we are looking more into things like the childrens church service, Sunday school etc. For their daughter who is four, going to be five in a couple weeks.
lol. It doesn't really matter but it just threw me. When someone says, "we have a baby and we're looking into what the church offers.."
I jut don't expect the kid to be like 5. Lol
She is their only child though so maybe that's why she is still "the baby".

B) this is a whole separate thing...people on this board have said "no is a complete sentence", meaning you don't have to give reasons why you are not comfortable with doing whatever it is they want you to do...so after my whole life of having a hard time saying no to peoples crazy demands, and always feeling like I have to explain myself, I began recently taking the advice I have seen here....and I just wanted to say how I find it so funny now if someone asks you to do something and for whatever reason you don't, but they expect you to like give an excuse of whatever, but all you say is "Oh I'm sorry, I won't be able to do that". ....And theres this...pause....because they are waiting to hear your reasons why you can't do what they're asking. But you don't say anything else...lol

I call my 8 year old baby. LOL I will probably call her that forever.

 

[AlwaysMoving]

To me, a baby is under the age of 2.

 

[stmo1]

It's one thing to say that your child is your baby , I do that all the time with my stepchild...but it's another thing to say to other people "we have a baby" when people will expect to see a baby but a school age child walks up lol
It's just opinion really. I thought it was odd.

As for the second issue thing I posted, I realized that people wait to hear the excuse because then they can refute is "I can't, I have to go to my DSS school for a meeting"..."Oh this won't take long, you can just drop by on your way back from the school, it's right on your way!" etc
It's so funny now to just say it won't work for me and give no excuse. Then they have nothing to argue back about lol

 

[MIGrandma]

I consider a baby to be under a year old or so. Once they start walking, and talking, and don't have a bottle (or nurse) anymore I consider them a toddler, or child. I have several grandchildren, the youngest will be 3 in January. I wouldn't call her a baby.

As for the second part, you don't owe anyone an explanation for why you can't (or just don't want to) do something. "I'm sorry, but no" is perfectly fine. Or "I'm sorry, that just won't work for me", or "I'm sorry, but I already have plans that day." DH and I got burned out when we were too active in our church. We were doing so much for the church that I felt we were neglecting our own family, so we cut down on things we were willing to do, and it got easier to just say "no" after awhile.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

It's one thing to say that your child is your baby , I do that all the time with my stepchild...but it's another thing to say to other people "we have a baby" when people will expect to see a baby but a school age child walks up lol
It's just opinion really. I thought it was odd.

As for the second issue thing I posted, I realized that people wait to hear the excuse because then they can refute is "I can't, I have to go to my DSS school for a meeting"..."Oh this won't take long, you can just drop by on your way back from the school, it's right on your way!" etc
It's so funny now to just say it won't work for me and give no excuse. Then they have nothing to argue back about lol

I told the lady at the gym today I had twins and was trying to lose the baby weight...

So....this would be wrong then

 

[Buckeye Princess]

I think I stopped calling DD a baby and started calling her a toddler around 19 months. She was using full sentences and becoming more independent of me. I remember thinking sometime around there that she was no longer my baby, but my little girl, my toddler. DS is about to turn 1 and even though he is starting to walk I don't consider him a toddler. I think the transition happens when they can do more daily things for themselves than they can't. (eating, getting out toys, selecting a book, asking for help, putting on some clothing.)

 

[castmember19]

I can think of a few occasions on which my mom will introduce me as or someone else will ask, "Is this the/your baby?"

Granted, most of the time the person has not seen me since I was very small and so the last time they saw me, I probably was an actual baby or at least up to 5 yrs old. I'm also the youngest child which establishes the "baby" title. Sister gets referred to as the "older" one.

I'm 20 now.

 

[punkin]

When I was little and playing jump rope we said "one, a baby; two, a baby; three, a baby; over!"

Of course my DDs are still my babies and will be until the day I die. I was the baby until my sister died. I'm nobody's baby now.

 

[Art 1]

I still refer to my 20 yr old daughter at "the baby", because to me she is my baby.

 

[Acklander]

I still refer to my oldest (27) as MY baby and my youngest (12) as THE baby.

Iif I was looking at what age appropriate things a place have to offer, I'd refer by actual age. Example, we're going on a cruise and I asked about what activities they had for an 12 year old.
But while at work I mentioned to a co-worker that I had to pick up a b-day cake for the baby.


I remember when I was in my teens smirking over this old lady who mentioned that she was going to visit "her baby, the neurologist". Now that I'm a mom I understand that baby can either be a description or a term of endearment.

 

[bumbershoot]

I told the lady at the gym today I had twins and was trying to lose the baby weight...

So....this would be wrong then

If you gained the weight while preparing to have babies and haven't lost it yet, then it's correct.

If, like me, you lost all but 5 pounds (and in retrospect, the "nursing area" was probably 10 pounds heavier than normal, so I was probably under what I had been) and were ALMOST to pre-baby weight, then the kid turned 2 and you started gaining it all back plus more (and DS was still nursing like a typical newborn, so I don't know what happened), then it's wrong to call it baby weight. I call it "I don't know what happened" weight.



There's "a baby" and there's "my baby". DS is MY baby, but he's not A baby. I don't think I would have called him A baby after he was 2ish (though nursing had nothing to do with the change as he nursed a long, long, long time).

And if I were looking for things for him to do, I DEFINITELY wouldn't label him a baby, because things for babies are rather different than things for 4 year olds!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

A baby is a baby until it can walk. Then it is a toddler.

That being said, only children are often referred to as one's "baby" well into adulthood (my mom still does it to me).

 

[HelenePA]

I call my three yr old "the baby" because he's the youngest in the family.

 

[scrapquitler]

Wanted to say both of these thigs but didn't feel that either one was "enough" to make a post of it's own..

A) How old is a baby?? I guess this is a matter of opinion but I would say 2 years old can still be called a baby...maybe even a 3 year old makes it...but to me that's kind of the cut off age. I know you could say a 2 or 3 year old is a toddler, pre-schooler, etc , but saying you have a baby could still make sense for a 2 year old, I guess. lol.

My Mom introduces my youngest brother to people as 'her baby' He's 37.

 

[diznygirl]

I told the lady at the gym today I had twins and was trying to lose the baby weight...

So....this would be wrong then

I think I will still be trying to lose the "baby weight" when the kids start college.





Come to think of it, I will have more time to work out then.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Welllll, I must be a baby still. My mother introduces me as the baby and I'm 43.


We've learned so well to say no. Our line is "Oh, I'm so sorry. We won't be able to do that."

 

[indimom]

OP, it would have thrown me off too. You don't hear too many people put it that way when they are talking about a preschooler.

To me,
"A" baby implies a child that isn't walking confidently yet, generally under 2.
"The" baby implies the youngest sibling in a family, but could easily refer to an adult.

But, nicknames/terms of endearment can be tricky.
My husband and I call our daughter "Girl" and our son "Boy." These are terms of endearment to us. I've gotten very strange looks in public when people overhear DH or I say "Boy, go get a head of lettuce from the produce aisle." I was verbally reprimanded by one of my sisters for calling my kids this years ago. (Who knows what the family might be saying behind my back... )

 

[dogluva]

A baby is a baby until it can walk. Then it is a toddler.

That being said, only children are often referred to as one's "baby" well into adulthood (my mom still does it to me).

My son walked at nine months. This is still a baby. My daughter walked at 15 months, she was still a baby. I don't think walking has anything to do with it in my opinion.

I still call my youngest "the baby" but only to my family.

 

[goofyernmost]

First I have to admit that I saw this on a rerun of "Friends"...Joey read from a book entitled "I'll Love You Forever". I'm afraid I don't know the author. It had a ending verse that went....

I will Love you Forever,
I will Like you For always,
For the rest of my life,
My baby you'll be....!