At what age do you stop calling child a "baby"?

[november]

Kids are toddlers from 1-3 in my mind. But I still call DD my baby (2.5) because she's MY baby!

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[mommabritt]

I find that I call my youngest child the baby until they're about 1. It drives me mad that my brother and SIL refer to my niece as the baby. She is 2 yrs and 10 months. Not even close to a baby.

Originally Posted by 5PrincessMommy I generally call anything 12 months-3 a toddler. But, I refer to my own 2 year old as a baby in certain contexts. I have 5 girls, 3 school age and 2 "babies" (really a toddler and baby). But it is easy to refer to the school-agers as "the girls" and the toddler and baby as "the babies". Like, "can you tell the girls to get dressed", or "can you get the babies dressed". I don't actually THINK she's a baby, or refer to other people's 2 year olds as babies, it's just the dynamic. However, she is becoming more of one of "the girls". If I yell "girls!" she will say "yes?" and come running like her big sisters So, she thinks she's definitely one of "the girls" hehe.

I have this same type of dynamic... Older boys (almost 7 and 9.5) ad a 4yo boy and an almost 11 mo old girl. So I frequently say "the boys" or "the big kids" or "the baby" when referring to dd. But I also say "the older boys" or "the younger boys" when referring to the two older or the two younger boys. Funny thing is, ds2 falls in both categories depending depending on the situation.

Originally Posted by qsefthuko I tell my own children they will be my babies until the day I die. I have heard a woman in her 80s refer to her 60 something daughter as her baby.

This.

[joeslittlewoman]

Like a PP, I'll probably always view them as babies in many ways. I know both my boys are toddlers (which I think of as over 12months). I refer to yds as "the baby" sometimes when distinguishing between the two. I think that will carry on until i have another itty bitty. My 3 year old now insists he is a "baybay" and not a "big boy" (thanks to my sister). So, they are both toddlers, and both babies.

[momtoGcubed]

My mom still calls me her baby.

I'd say around 2. Although it may take longer for me to accept that my youngest isn't a baby anymore since she's my last.

[Hillargh]

I call DS's brother baby still most of the time. If I am not speaking directly to either, I use their name to avoid confusion. His brother will be 6 this month.

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[m0mof6]

Until they insist they are a big boy (or girl) and then again once they understand that they will always be my baby. So YDS was no longer a baby at about 15 months but the older 4 are still sometimes called my babies.

[Zolouham]

Never they will always be my babies

[meldo]

Originally Posted by qsefthuko I think toddlers are toddling babies. I think of children under 6 as babies. I think that puts me in the minority. I tell my own children they will be my babies until the day I die. I have heard a woman in her 80s refer to her 60 something daughter as her baby.

I'll join the minority with you. I still call my 7 yo baby but usually use it with my 3 yo. It's weird now, though since she's not the baby anymore.

This pretty much sums it up for me:

From "I'll love you forever"

I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be

I'm typing on my iPhone, sorry.

[jamie714]

For me they are a toddler when the start walking and a big kid when the potty train. However, they will always be MY babies.

[sisu]

Originally Posted by 5PrincessMommy I generally call anything 12 months-3 a toddler. But, I refer to my own 2 year old as a baby in certain contexts.

This. DS may be 2, but he's still my baby.