Why do people say "my kid is 26 months" instead of just saying "my kid is 2"?

Question

It always boggled me. Once you reached 1, I thought it made more sense to just start counting down the years after that.

But i'm open to being enlightened on the matter...why do they count by months even after reaching 1 year old?

Answer 1

Because toddlers develop a lot in the space of a month; believe me. If a kid is 2 and a half he or she is going to be further developed that a 24 month old.So we say that to give the person we're talking to about the child an idea of where he/she (the child) is in terms of stages. I think we refer to that specific of an age for doctors, for other parents (of prospective playmates, etc...) and for caregivers and it becomes a habit and we wind up making the referral to months the rule of thumb when referring to a child's age. . .

Which begs the question; when do you stop? I think I'll stop when she's 3. But it's also situational. I refer to her in terms of months less and less as she gets older. It's easier at this point to say she's 2.

I hope that helps clarify. I wondered that myself before I had a kid. Now I have a 26-month-old ;)

Answer 2

Because we are still used to saying I am 7 months preg--it goes away after awhile--we still want to hold on to how young they are and how long ago we had them--I have an 18 week old-lol--4 1/2 month old, an 11 year old an 8 1/2 year old and a 17 1/2 year old--which I refuse to say (now) she will be 18 in April--she will be 17 1/2 til the day she turns 18!!! A mom thing.

Answer 3

I think most people count years after 2, but the reason they say 26 months is because babies grow so fast and theres a difference between a 2 year and a 26 month old, so If someone asks the babies age, they will say 26 months instead of 2.

Answer 4

its because there are differences in development and it is a more accurate way of reporting age, when development is an issue. Speech, weight and physical abilities are all different at different ages.

I usually use months when i need to be specific. Like if i said my 2 y.o. weighs 25 pounds. Well, that is kind of small for a 33 month-old, but not too bad for a 24 month -old.
i also say that I breastfed my DD for 40 months, becaue it was such an accomplishment. She self-weaned, but she was well over 3, not yet four and two months before 3 and a half.

Answer 5

In the first 3 years of life, a lot of development in children occurs around a certain month, or range of months. When moms arrange playdates for their kids, it helps to have playmates in the same developmental range. Referring to children over 2 as 26 months is just a developmental thing.

Answer 6

I don't know if you have kids, in case you don't here is why. In the early stages of childhood, it is very different when you are saying my child is one (12 MONTHS) and my child is one(20-21-22- so on MONTHS) do you see what I mean, if you go to ...let say babycenter.com
they will give you information about your child development on a month to month bases, because it changes so much one month a child with barley say MAMA and 2 months later he will use two words together. Girls out there! there is not need to be catty and get upset at people that uses months, who cares! it' is good to be open to learning something new.

Answer 7

I don't know, it always bothered me too! I could understand saying like "20 months" because a 20 month old is a lot more developed than a one year old, or if your kid was 2 and 1/2 that'd be ok to say, but after that, just count years! You'll find people who say their kid is like 45 months old - it's ridiculous!

Answer 8

I don't get it either. There was a reason i didn't like maths at school, and this was it. Like i need anything more to think about. My son is two and a bit and he has done this, this and this. Whoop di frickin do. You'd be amazed how many other kids do that stuff at that stage as well. I can barely remember what i had for breakfast this morning let alone how many months my son is. Don't make me get out my calculator lol.

Answer 9

Ha good question, it keeps your toddler a baby still. It's just a way of keeping your baby an infant, rather than a child. It is also sometimes used by parents who compete, my child did this at 20 months, rather than just 2 years which all kids probably do this milestone in.

Answer 10

They get caught up in the I am nine months pregnant thing, then My son is a week old, and now he is six weeks old, all of the charts say that, so do books. I think that it is because they grow and change so quickly in the first year or so that to just say he is one or two is to vague as far a milestones. Plus, it makes people feel important to obsess over their newborn baby or young child.