Why are the ages of younger children represented in months?

[Zysoclaplem]

Isn't a 18 month old child a 1 year old?
Why is a 5 year and 3 month old not considered a 63 month old?
I can see up to 1 year of age, but not after.
Growth remains steady from birth until double digits right?
So it shouldnt have much to do with the childs size.
Blah

 

[So]

Why pick an arbitrary dividing point of one year? Two years is just as good.

 

[FoBoT]

to differentiate

there is a BIG difference between a 4 month baby and a 11 month baby

same with 13 months and 23 months

 

[MrChad]

Because a lot happens between, say, 12 months and 18 months. There's enough of a difference between those two age groups to make the distinction.

EDIT: FoBoT beat me to it.

 

[blackdogdeek]

in between 12 months and 2 years i always used months. after 2 years i use years.

that just seemed the convention because there are important milestones in between those 2 times like specific inoculations, clothing sizes, etc.

 

[Queasy]

Basically because there are more frequent milestones of development between the age of 0 and 2 years. Easier to break those down into months.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Originally posted by: So
Why pick an arbitrary dividing point of one year? Two years is just as good.

I don't know.

 

[Viper GTS]

Because there is a tremendous amount of development on a monthly basis at that age.

Viper GTS

 

[Feldenak]

For the same reason they're measured like fish when born (weight and length )

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Because there is a tremendous amount of development on a monthly basis at that age.

Viper GTS

There is a tremendous amount of development for a long time after that age as well.
I have seen more development in my niece after two on a monthly basis then I ever did before she hit 2.

 

[sash1]

When you have kids, you'll understand.

 

[ThirdEdition]

Also a lot of clothes for young children are written in months.

There is a big difference between your average 12 month and 18 month old. If you put 1 year on both of those articles, it would be hard to distinguish. My 2 cents.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Originally posted by: ThirdEdition
Also a lot of clothes for young children are written in months.

There is a big difference between your average 12 month and 18 month old. If you put 1 year on both of those articles, it would be hard to distinguish. My 2 cents.

No no, 1 year, 6 months. Not just 1 year.
I just want to be 301 months old, not 25.

 

[yowolabi]

Because development is on a much faster pace at that age. There's no difference between someone who is 18yrs and 18yrs and 6 months, but there's a huge difference between 6 months and a year.

 

[Baked]

My gf is 300 months old.

 

[dullard]

Because decimal places confuse people. The phrase "I have a 1.2 year old girl" is short, simple, accurate, differentiates sufficiently, and doesn't break convention. Therefore, it cannot be used. We, instead, must create a new convention using months instead of years with arbitrary rules (such as to when to stop using months) to solve the problem.

 

[zebano]

Originally posted by: Baked
My gf is 300 months old.

Dump the hag and find yourself a fresh pair of legs.

LOL

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Isn't a 18 month old child a 1 year old?
Why is a 5 year and 3 month old not considered a 63 month old?
I can see up to 1 year of age, but not after.
Growth remains steady from birth until double digits right?
So it shouldnt have much to do with the childs size.
Blah

Because a 12 month old and an 18 month old child are at very different stages of development. It is a better reference point than saying 1 year old.

 

[zebano]

Originally posted by: dullard
Because decimal places confuse people. The phrase "I have a 1.2 year old girl" is short, simple, accurate, differentiates sufficiently, and doesn't break convention. Therefore, it cannot be used. We, instead, must create a new convention using months instead of years with arbitrary rules (such as to when to stop using months) to solve the problem.

Considering how many adults can't add, do you really expect them to be able to convert a 12 month year (w/o a set # of days/ month) into decimals?

 

[DaShen]

My neice is shooting up like a branch and she is only 13 months. During that age they all grow super fast and a kid at a certain month will be different then the same kid during another month.

 

[Aquaman]

What's the problem?

I'm 455 months

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: zebano
Considering how many adults can't add, do you really expect them to be able to convert a 12 month year (w/o a set # of days/ month) into decimals?

Converting to the exactly correct decimal would require math. But no where in age decriptions have we ever been exactly correct.

The month system has substantial errors in it. For example, a baby that is 84 days old is also 12 weeks old. But people often call it a 2 month old child. 2 months = 61 days. The error in that math is 84/61 - 1 = 37.7% error. And I could have chosen an example with much more error.

I mention this, because even if they convert into decimals incorrectly, they probably aren't making much more of an error than they already are making. Heck calling a 7 month old child as a 0.7 year old child (pretending there were only 10 months a year) would be just about the same size of error.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: So
Why pick an arbitrary dividing point of one year? Two years is just as good.

sh1t i think all ages should be in decades. anyone under ten is a first decader.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: sash1
When you have kids, you'll understand.

 

[MasonLuke]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
to differentiate

there is a BIG difference between a 4 month baby and a 11 month baby

same with 13 months and 23 months

QFT