how long is a girl a baby?

nadusch · Sep 28th, 2005, 01:29

Hi !
my daughter (11 years) was always adressed: hi, baby, what do you want baby..... She was very annoyed. She is a teen! not a baby. To a shop owner I explained, that in Germany you call only a toddler up to 3 years a baby, and thats why my daughter prefers to be a "young lady". The shop owner said: but baby is young that is good, a lady is old!
Now I wonder how old may you get and be still called "baby"?

crvlvr · Sep 28th, 2005, 01:36

as long as she is with her mother, a girl is a "baby". do remember, in india, indian customs/rules apply, not german ones.

nadusch · Sep 28th, 2005, 01:40

Hi Guru,

don´t worry, I have no intention to apply german roles in india! I was only wondering and tried to explain to the shop owner the reaction of my daughter!

indira · Sep 28th, 2005, 01:46

I have the same problems with my daughter, 11 years old who is called a baby.........i try to explain.....but its difficult to.....specially at this age....

Nick-H · Sep 28th, 2005, 01:53

In the short period after her parents have stopped calling her baby, and before her boyfriend has started?

Digital Drifter · Sep 28th, 2005, 10:28

I wonder what you're going to think when an Indian compliments your wife for being "homely"!

Hint: it does not mean what it says in the dictionary, in India.

jjacquemain · Sep 28th, 2005, 10:41

Here I still call my boys "baby" and the're 7 and almost 9. It's just a pet name. I dread the day when they are too old for that.

robotvoice · Sep 28th, 2005, 10:50

nick-H,
Exactly, though i wasn't sure how to put it.

rangss · Sep 28th, 2005, 11:01

Look the problem here is, these guys are merely translating the exact word for addressing little kids politely from their native tongue. You see, Hindi and most Indian languages do not have separate words like “Miss” or “Lady” or “Sir” to address strangers politely. We substitute the words “mother”, “father”, “son” “daughter” etc. Pre Independence, English ladies were addressed as Memsaheb (mem comes from Ma’am) and Englishmen as “Saheb” or “Babu”. Post Independence, these were used address Westernised Indians. Otherwise, Indian ladies are politely addressed as “maaji (ji is a term of respect and maa means…ma…mother) and men as “sahib” (since men always were modern and educated). Kids are addressed in endearment as “beta” (son) or “beti” (daughter). In your case, since you are a Western woman your daughter would be “baby”…no Indian endearments. Here baby is a polite word translated verbatim from native tongue.

Forget all this. If your daughter does not like it, just ask those guys to address her as “Miss”. Simple.

GoanCanuck · Sep 28th, 2005, 23:12

In India even a 24 year old unmarried female while shopping with her mother is many times addressed as "baby".

Feliz · Sep 29th, 2005, 00:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

In the short period after her parents have stopped calling her baby, and before her boyfriend has started?

dhans · Sep 29th, 2005, 00:18

I'm sure that my kids will qualify as baby (and still don't like it

)

Hans

shanthi · Sep 29th, 2005, 22:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

In the short period after her parents have stopped calling her baby, and before her boyfriend has started?

iyou · Sep 29th, 2005, 23:34

How long is a baby girl? That's what I really want to know.

Indojingai · Sep 30th, 2005, 08:22

OP:
You have no idea. I'm half way to the grave, not a girl and my mom will call me things I can't tell here.

Sep 28th, 2005, 01:29	#1
nadusch Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Munich - Germany Posts: 16	how long is a girl a baby? Hi ! my daughter (11 years) was always adressed: hi, baby, what do you want baby..... She was very annoyed. She is a teen! not a baby. To a shop owner I explained, that in Germany you call only a toddler up to 3 years a baby, and thats why my daughter prefers to be a "young lady". The shop owner said: but baby is young that is good, a lady is old! Now I wonder how old may you get and be still called "baby"?

Sep 28th, 2005, 01:36	#2
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,474	as long as she is with her mother, a girl is a "baby". do remember, in india, indian customs/rules apply, not german ones. Last edited by crvlvr : Sep 29th, 2005 at 00:48.

Sep 28th, 2005, 01:53	#5
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 26,773	In the short period after her parents have stopped calling her baby, and before her boyfriend has started? __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Sep 28th, 2005, 10:28	#6
Digital Drifter bang a whore? Bangalore Dammit! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,878	I wonder what you're going to think when an Indian compliments your wife for being "homely"! Hint: it does not mean what it says in the dictionary, in India. __________________ Click here for the Indiamike train guide in PDF

Sep 28th, 2005, 10:41	#7
jjacquemain Nothing is illegal until you get caught~ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio USA Posts: 533	Here I still call my boys "baby" and the're 7 and almost 9. It's just a pet name. I dread the day when they are too old for that. __________________ There is no defense against chaos~

Sep 28th, 2005, 01:40	#3
nadusch Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Munich - Germany Posts: 16	Hi Guru, don´t worry, I have no intention to apply german roles in india! I was only wondering and tried to explain to the shop owner the reaction of my daughter!

Sep 28th, 2005, 01:46	#4
indira Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Austria Posts: 175	I have the same problems with my daughter, 11 years old who is called a baby.........i try to explain.....but its difficult to.....specially at this age....

Sep 28th, 2005, 10:50	#8
robotvoice mikeaholic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: california Posts: 1,163	nick-H, Exactly, though i wasn't sure how to put it.

Sep 28th, 2005, 11:01	#9
rangss Bulk Carrier Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,838	Look the problem here is, these guys are merely translating the exact word for addressing little kids politely from their native tongue. You see, Hindi and most Indian languages do not have separate words like “Miss” or “Lady” or “Sir” to address strangers politely. We substitute the words “mother”, “father”, “son” “daughter” etc. Pre Independence, English ladies were addressed as Memsaheb (mem comes from Ma’am) and Englishmen as “Saheb” or “Babu”. Post Independence, these were used address Westernised Indians. Otherwise, Indian ladies are politely addressed as “maaji (ji is a term of respect and maa means…ma…mother) and men as “sahib” (since men always were modern and educated). Kids are addressed in endearment as “beta” (son) or “beti” (daughter). In your case, since you are a Western woman your daughter would be “baby”…no Indian endearments. Here baby is a polite word translated verbatim from native tongue. Forget all this. If your daughter does not like it, just ask those guys to address her as “Miss”. Simple. __________________ ...and I took the road less travelled.

Sep 28th, 2005, 23:12	#10
GoanCanuck Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vancouver Posts: 2,965	In India even a 24 year old unmarried female while shopping with her mother is many times addressed as "baby".

Sep 29th, 2005, 00:18	#12
dhans Uru Buru member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,533	I'm sure that my kids will qualify as baby (and still don't like it ) Hans __________________ Tips for trips to India with (young) children: India with kids Stories about our travels in India: Journal

Sep 29th, 2005, 23:34	#14
iyou Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 502	How long is a baby girl? That's what I really want to know. __________________ . . . --May a moody baby doom a yam.

Sep 30th, 2005, 08:22	#15
Indojingai One in a billion member. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 987	OP: You have no idea. I'm half way to the grave, not a girl and my mom will call me things I can't tell here. __________________ I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.

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