Baby talk and "mommy blogger"...*Shudder*

[helloemi]

I was reading the post about Mckmomma and figured I would start a new thread on this.

Maybe it's just me...but some "mommy bloggers" use so many dumb nicknames for things that it becomes hard to understand what they are talking about.

I mean, I get a little queasy reading all the cutesy baby talk.

Are they infantilizing themselves on purpose as part of this culture? Or is this from being around children all day?

I mean my husband and I have our typical "couples language"...but I don't humiliate him by posting it on the internet.

[Angri-la]

My child is so wise. I do not speak to her in babytalk, however, I do, on occasion, indulge in this with my cats. Yesterday, my Ladybug says to me "Mommy, why do you sound like that when you talk to the kitties? You sound like you don't know how to make words properly."

I am a hypocrite. I hate babytalk, and it took a 4 year old to remind me how ridiculous I sound!

[Shirley MacLaine]

I think even the common abbreviations are silly... DS, DH, DD.

[bananacat]

I think baby talk is fine for babies. Pronouncing words in a certain way probably helps them to learn language (although babies will almost always pick up on it no matter what). But I don't use it when talking (or writing) to other adults. I agree that the abbreviations like DH are silly. Who actually calls their husband "Dear Husband"?

[bea]

I don't do baby talk. I never have.

Though the "DH, DD" convention on "mommyblogs" were instituted to protect privacy on messageboards, IIRC. I gave my children nicknames when they were in utero and that's how I refer to them online.

The disdain for "mommyblogging" gets to me sometimes. Sure, some of the time, I think a lot of these blogs are stupid and self-indulgent. But a fair number of them talk about a lot more than their kids - they talk about politics, consumerism, media, etc. in addition to parenting. I feel like a lot of the disdain comes from the idea that these are just women talking about their kids, and who wants to hear about THAT - it's the immediate dismissal of the idea that anyone might be interested in women's day-to-day lives and struggles that bothers me. Prior to a lot of these blogs starting, many women felt completely isolated. If you were feeling hemmed in by never having conversations with anyone above the age of 4, if you were feeding your kids pizza every night, if your house was a mess and some days you didn't shower, there wasn't a community you could reach out to for support and validation. You were in your house. Alone. With your kids. All the time. "Mommyblogging" is popular, I think, because it serves a purpose - it provides a community for people who otherwise don't have one.

[Chrystal-J]

I think even the common abbreviations are silly... DS, DH, DD.

I know a lot of people use them, but I can't stand them. Someone at a christian site I go to will be talking about a husband who's cheating for the 10th time, and she uses DH. Is he a "dear"? Really?

I'm not bashing anyone who uses them, but they're not for me.

[BlackHawk]

I was reading the post about Mckmomma and figured I would start a new thread on this.

Maybe it's just me...but some "mommy bloggers" use so many dumb nicknames for things that it becomes hard to understand what they are talking about.

I mean, I get a little queasy reading all the cutesy baby talk.

Are they infantilizing themselves on purpose as part of this culture? Or is this from being around children all day?

I mean my husband and I have our typical "couples language"...but I don't humiliate him by posting it on the internet.

i am around children day in and day out. All sorts of ages and I can say it's not from that. It's their own issue that has nothing to do with children.

[Joykins]

I know a lot of people use them, but I can't stand them. Someone at a christian site I go to will be talking about a husband who's cheating for the 10th time, and she uses DH. Is he a "dear"? Really?

I'm not bashing anyone who uses them, but they're not for me.

The "d" in that case does not stand for "dear"

darn

damn

doofenschmirtz

or something like that maybe

[Shirley MacLaine]

Though the "DH, DD" convention on "mommyblogs" were instituted to protect privacy on messageboards, IIRC. I gave my children nicknames when they were in utero and that's how I refer to them online.

But why not just say my husband, my daughter? The dear this, dear that convention is so saccharine.

[acheronbeach]

I think there's a segment of American society that thinks that feminine women act cutesy and childish rather than womanly.

Look at Rachael Ray (Let's make some sammies, they're so yummo!) or Aarti Party (Oh my goodness gosh, this fruit is so yummy it's like biting into the colour pink!)

It drives me bonkers. If anyone spoke to me that way, I'd be incredibly offended.

[BlackHawk]

I think there's a segment of American society that thinks that feminine women act cutesy and childish rather than womanly.

Look at Rachael Ray (Let's make some sammies, they're so yummo!) or Aarti Party (Oh my goodness gosh, this fruit is so yummy it's like biting into the colour pink!)

It drives me bonkers. If anyone spoke to me that way, I'd be incredibly offended.

I take it the bit in parenthesis are actual quotes from the stars? How sad.

[clibbyjo]

I hate baby talk and totally use DH because I am too lazy to type out husband most of the time. I HATE "hubs,hubby, hubster etc.." all those stupid words for husband bloggers use so figured DH is quickest and use that. I have used my kids nicknames on my blog, but those are what we really call them, so I mostly say "the big one, the girl,and the youngest or something equally vague.

In 19 years I have never called my husband "dear" anything, so the DH probably doesn't stand for dear husband " for me. :)

[Maggie Mae]

The DH, dd, ds thing bothers me. So do all the cutesy nicknames, like "little mamma" and "the one who's being knitted in my womb." I have a friend who calls her fetus "Fetus" or "Krill" and that amuses me because ... well, it's not sugary sweet (sweet baby in my tummy) or old lady flowery (god's sweet blessing in my womb).

Part of the reason I hate DH, DS, DD is that it's confusing. DH = deathly hallows! DS = nintendo game. DD = DDR without the R or a number of other abbreviations. I also think it's weird that someone can spend forever typing out cutesy stories about their ds but can't bother to type out a few more characters to nickname him.

[Shirley MacLaine]

I HATE "hubs,hubby, hubster etc.."

Hate that, too. Also hate when dating friends constantly refer to their boyfriends as 'the boy.'

[acheronbeach]

I take it the bit in parenthesis are actual quotes from the stars? How sad.

Yeah. With the Aarti one, the exact wording might be a little off, but she definitely said that yummy lychees were like biting into the colour pink. I rolled my eyes and kept channel surfing.

[helloemi]

No disrespect to the "mommy bloggers". :-) I think some of you are awesome and am constantly stealing recipes and money saving tips. *

But posts like this:

"Flurry has my phone right now.

The MckDoubles have an issue with Roobii, but Kitty is already over hers.

Nuggey has a Monarch caterpillar he is caring for.

Roobii’s newly trained persona has the approval of even my non dog loving friends."

(Stolen from MckMama to prove point :whistle: )

splattered with pictures of kittens and babies and cutesie pink font just make me want to scream "USE YOUR WORDS!"

I have a bazillion pet names for my husband, our dog refers to him as "daddy" (yes, GAG!) it just seems so middle school, it's like the adult version of the Lisa Frank binder with a unicorn on it and the boys name you like scrawled on the back.

*It's quite funny, I am constantly telling DH (Bahaha) "Those fundies sure know their crock pot recipes and how to get a good deal!"

[acheronbeach]

it just seems so middle school, it's like the adult version of the Lisa Frank binder with a unicorn on it and the boys name you like scrawled on the back.

You hit the nail on the head, LOL. Also, I'm having a flashback now to grade six, and my binder with a pink and violet unicorn prancing over a rainbow.

[ladypuglover]

It's not just mommy bloggers that do this. My aunt refers to herself as a widdle baby gurl and says other such nonsense. The first time I heard her say it I was 6 months pregnant with my second son and I heard her say that this widdle baby gurl was hungy in a Michelle Duggar type voice. I told her that I maybe 19 but having my 2nd child cancelled out me being a little girl and of course I was hungry, I was pregnant. She made a catbutt face and said she was refering to herself. I laughed and said that she was in her late 40's and who the hell refers to herself in 3rd person? My mom said for me to go get myself and first born ready and she would tell me later. I still can't figure out why my aunt to this day talks baby talk when refering to herself when she is in her late 60's.

[PBrooke]

Lisa Frank! zomg! I totally want to go buy something with a baby seal on it now.

I agree that the infantilizing of adult women is ridiculous. I did read something once that said that the reason couples use pet names and baby voices with one another has some biological bonding reason behind it... but that doesn't explain women who present themselves to the rest of the world that way.

[clibbyjo]

Lisa Frank! zomg! I totally want to go buy something with a baby seal on it now.

I agree that the infantilizing of adult women is ridiculous. I did read something once that said that the reason couples use pet names and baby voices with one another has some biological bonding reason behind it... but that doesn't explain women who present themselves to the rest of the world that way.

I have no problem with people calling me "Empress". I have even encouraged it among my family and yet no one wants to use it,go figure. :whistle:

[desertvixen]

I nickname people on my LJ (don't do a stand alone blog...yet) but that's because everyone in my life may not appreciate having their stuff out there. Or my coworkers, on the occasion I want to bitch and moan about them. My daughter is the MiniVixen (having graduated from the MicroVixen, as she was dubbed after we found out she was indeed a girl), so I'll abbreviate her to MV for general use.

I refer to my guy as the future Mr. Vixen or by his initials because I think boyfriend sounds kind of silly when I'm 32 and he's 36...

[Lainey]

I just can't stand "hubby" or any of it's variants. I sometimes refer to my husband as DH for the same reason Clibbyjo does--it's easier and faster to type.

I totally talk baby talk to my cats, though. And I'm sort of overly fond of lolcats, so every once in awhile...

[Shirley MacLaine]

Maybe I'm harping, but wouldn't H, D & S work just as well?

[Katiebug]

On my one private board, I just use my husband's and kid's real names. Elsewhere if I use this username or a variant of it, they're Mr. Bug and Baby Bug (well, Little Bug now). I try to avoid the DH and DD business because I think it's overly-saccharine. On mainstream/public boards I do sometimes slip into the 'D' abbreviations because everyone else is doing it.

Our kid had a cutesy nickname in utero; we didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl and it was easier to use the nickname than constantly saying "the baby" or "it" (I always felt a little weird about "it").

[Chrystal-J]

Hate that, too. Also hate when dating friends constantly refer to their boyfriends as 'the boy.'

Or "the wife" that some guys use. When my late husband was alive, I just called him "my husband" or by his first name. That reminds me, I can't stand when people call their husbands "Mr. (what-ever their last name is)" or "Father, Daddy, or Papa". My husband is not my father, he's my son's dad.

...just one of my many pet peeves. :P