JFF: Why

It really depends on the context. If someone is asking, "is 2 yrs too young to potty train?", then what does that mean? 22 months? 24 months? 35 months? There is a HUGE difference in the answer to the question and in being able to answer the question. There are a lot of assumptions made about a child's abilities at certain ages. If someone said their child only said 2 words, and so someone said, "well how old are they?" and the answer is 2 years. Well... at 2 years, no big deal. At 33 months, it is a different answer.
I think there is a LOT of that that goes on. So, for the sake of giving the maximum information, I think a lot of moms probably just go ahead and provide as much info as possible.... to help get (or give) more precise/better answers.

I was guilty of this when my son was younger. I think it is to distinguish the actual age....say a 2 year old....babies at 25 months are expected to act/do things differently than a 33 month old.

I didn't think it was such a big deal. Apparently some do.

Just like some people are "irked" when you don't capitalize or use proper sentences and grammar.

To each their own. We are all here for advise and not to criticize what method people use to ask their question.

It is more precise and gives you a clearer understanding of exactly how old the child is. If you say my 2 year old.. well he/she could be two and three months.. sometimes those 3 months can make a big difference. Especially in their infant toddler/years. Look at a 2 year old, and then look at a 2.5 year old and see the big difference.

I think after my son's 3rd birthday I will start using years instead of months.

LOL I think the word IRK, "irks" me more than using the months. Its not a real word, is it? Just sounds funny

When my 531 month old gets home I'll ask him...

I think answering in months is appropriate only up until age 2. After that, just say '2' or '2 1/2' or 'she will be 3 in February.'

When you have to start doing math to figure out how many months your child is, you know something is wrong. lol.

Oh, and to those who were wondering, 'irk' is definitely a real word.

I usually say the months until about 18 months, and then just tell people, she will be 2 in a couple months, or she just turned 3 last month. Up until about 5 it just gives people a reference to compare to, usually for size or development in skills. After that, who cares.
You all want to come to my 685 month birthday in January? lol

I am with you on this one. Mind you my Daughter is 20 months and I do say that when I am asking a question about her or when someone asks only because she is still so young that 20 months makes more sense than saying well she is 1 and 3/4 or she will be 2 in December. But I do not have any plans to keep the month thing going once she hits 2. Its the worst when ppl say "oh my child is 24 months". No your kid is 2

lol! That has always bothered me too. Starting at 2 years old, I don't go by months anymore.

I know.. Once they are 24 months. They are 2 or 2 1/2 Almost 3 etc.

My daughter and I figured out I was turning 600 months this past July.. We were thinking about using it as a Theme.

"Join us as we help L. celebrate her 600 month birthday!"

It irks me too, I think I just hate to do the math! lol

It really bothers me as well. If your son is 27 months, he is two years old. I think people should only refer to months before their first birthday. After that, years!! =)

I ran into a woman the other day that said her baby was 56 weeks old... I was like uhhhhh how many months is that? haha. So weird.

LOL drives me crazy too!! BUT... until they're actually 2 years old, every month counts. My husband gets smart with people and says 'my son is 20 months and [x amount] of days, [x] amount of hours, and approximately [x] minutes ;)

Having worked in early childhood intervention, I can see why someone does it up to 36 months because of the milestones. Not sure why anyone would do that after that.
Honestly, I have too many other things to think about, I wouldn't even notice it.

Once mine turns two years old, they are 2 yrs old, or 2.5 years old. I never refer to them, when they are that age, in months. BUT, if they are younger, I definitely do refer to them as 23 months, 18 months, 8 months, etc. Reason being, at that age, there is a vast difference between being 18 months vs just a year old. Their development differs so much per month that it makes sense to specify the month.

I don't know...it's one of those things that bothers me too!!!

Once my kids turned 2 - it was 2, 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2, etc.

It irks us because why on EARTH should I have to divide 12 into the number of months to find out how old the kids is in YEARS!!!! After 2 IT IS YEARS NOT MONTHS!!!!!

OMG, that TOTALLY annoys me. Once DD hit a year old, I stopped referring to her age in months. It just sounds ridiculous IMO. Can't you just say "A year & a half", or "almost 2", or "2 and a 1/2", or "She'll be 3 in December"? That's what I always did.

Wait you all dont' do that?!?
Let's see, one is 129 months, then I have a 167 monther, and I can't multiply 12 X 16 or 12 X 22. hehehe
Yeah I get it. I used months for the first two years, until about 18 months. Then it was almost 2, or just turned 2.

I pretty much think once they hit TWO of ANYTHING you switch to that thing. So like I'd talk in days until they are two weeks, then weeks until they are two months, then months until two years.

I do that now, because my 27 months old (sorry) is much different then a 2 year old. There are HUGE strings of development verbally, cognitively, and other ways between each age. This of how different your baby was between 4 months and 1 year. At four months they probably couldn't sit up on their own, and at one year they are either walking, or close to it. My son couldn't really talk at 2 years, but at 27 months he speaks in phrases. I think 2 and 1/4 sounds much more silly then 27 months.

For the record, I don't care if it annoys people ;)
I don't cater how I speak, to other people's preferences.

oh my gosh, I think the same thing!! When my kids were babies, it is hard not to do it when they are like, 6 weeks old, cause you don't want to say "my baby is 1 month and 2 weeks old" - I get that. But when I started to have to calculate how many weeks my baby was, I was like, forget that, here we go "almost 1" or "one and a half". Yep, I'm with you.

I have no clue why people keep it going, I stopped doing that at 1.
I figured since she made it a year, why not say she's a year old?
I never said how many weeks I was when I was pregnant either. I just rounded it to months to make things easier.
=)

In general conversation, delay in milestones is not on my radar. usually it's just people chit chatting to fill the silence and seem friendly. IF -- I were worried that my kid was behind then i would do the, he' just turned 2 thing.

yes this one drives me bonkers.

maybe i'll start giving my age in months.

I think that's totally irritating too! I only used months for the first year, after age 1 the month counting totally stopped. It sounds "anal" to me when I hear it.

Ha ha good question. I think once they are 2 they are not months anymore. They are toddlers not babies. It's pretty irritating to me too!

I think it's a first child syndrome, and for sure an only child syndrome....Anyone still counting months after 12 should have their head examined.

Just saying, at 600+ months old, I've learned a few things

Irks me too! I think I stopped using months around 18 months...

WHAT!! - I always tell people my dd is 98 months old. ;-) just kidding!! Yes this bugs me too. I think people who do this just want to keep there kids as babies for a while longer. It also sounds like they are worried what other people think if there 2 or 3 yr old hasn't reached all those little milestones so they convert the years into months. Who cares what others think!! I stopped doing the month thing when my dd was 18 months.

Drives me nuts! All it means for me is more math just to figure out how old the kid is. Once the kid reaches the year mark I just say how old they are in years and if I'm going for specifics I'll go say "a year and __ months".

I know! That drives me crazy. I'd rather say, oh a year and 4 months than try to figure out 16 months or whatever.

That is crazy. Usually it is under two use the months, but over two, puleeease! LOL It irks me too!

I'm 396 months old! =O <---shocked Though, saying it like that makes me feel younger somehow. I may adopt this new method of announcing ones age in monthly increments!

I never have put anything in months, except for the first year. Makes me
crazy when people say 29 mo, 36 mo. Maybe these people just want to
keep them babies longer. Just a thought.

I have posted that my twins are 28 months in the past so that people here will know where in the "2's" they are as far as talking about milestones (in my case it was pacifier and potty training). When I'm out and about and people ask me how old they are, I say they are 2 and probably in a few months I will say they are 2 1/2. So, I guess it depends on where you are referring to with hearing it. But I don't know if it would irk me hearing it at the grocery store or not. I probably would just think to each his own. But honestly, I don't really hear anyone with kids beyond 2 that say the months, only here on Mamapedia.

I sell on ebay and there is a brand that has 36 months on the sizing tags. Well, what size am i suppose to write in my listing. I just divide 36 by 12 and come up with a 3T! This gets to me too, Lol

I only did it for the first year or to tell people their clothing size for a birthday party! Like Come on people!! just say a year and a half.. or almost two.. LOL!

Updated

I only did it for the first year or to tell people their clothing size for a birthday party! Like Come on people!! just say a year and a half.. or almost two.. LOL!

Updated

I only did it for the first year or to tell people their clothing size for a birthday party! Like Come on people!! just say a year and a half.. or almost two.. LOL!

Updated

I only did it for the first year or to tell people their clothing size for a birthday party! Like Come on people!! just say a year and a half.. or almost two.. LOL!

LOL, I know. I think of the months for being up to 2 years old. It takes me a bit to figure out exactly how old a 42 month old is. Once they get to two years old, kids don't really change and have milestones every month anymore. Time to calculate age in years :)