Checking your child's texts. We know you do it.
Parenting on Female First
If you don't, you probably want to, but can't get hold of their phone.
We also know that, whilst in the midst of scrolling through a thousand texts, you might find it hard to understand what some texts mean (unless you're a really cool and hip parent).
You could come across strange word abbreviations, like: 'OMG lol, Idk I cba with that IRL lmao', and have no idea where to even begin decoding it.
Well don't worry, we know the unknown can be terrifying, so we've set up a simple conversion guide so that you can translate quickly, and get that phone back to where it should be.
OMG- Oh my God. Possibly the most common acronym for avid texters. It conveys shock, upset, happiness, and also any other emotion.
LOL- Laugh Out Loud. This may be the most mistaken abbreviation, as many parents (including PM David Cameron) take it to mean lots of love. It can be used for genuine laughter, but is mainly used for sarcasm.
WTF- What the... Try not to tell your child off for swearing here, as this is another very common one. It's used in a similar way to OMG, but tends to show more anger.
LMAO- Laugh My A*** Off. This one is along similar lines to LOL, but can be used to variate the action of laughing at something. This tends to be used by people who text a lot, which your child probably does.
IDK- I Don't Know. Simple enough, really.
WBU- What About You? This one can be tricky, as it doesn't use the first letters of each word. It can also be confused with WUBU2, meaning 'What've You Been Up To?'
IDC- I Don't Care. Similar to IDK, but a little harsher.
ILY- I Love You. Generally used between friends, but could be useful if they are involved in an unbeknownst-to-you relationship.
BTW- By The Way. Another fairly simple one, could be used if sniping at someone or being snarky.
IRL- In Real Life. This is mainly used on the internet, but can overlap into text territory. Generally means something in person as opposed to texting or on the internet, e.g. meeting someone.
BRB- Be Right Back. Again, used mostly on the internet, but can be used in text.
CBA- Can't Be A**d. You probably already know what this means, as theres no doubt that whenever you ask your child to do something, they sigh, 'ugh CBA'.
TBF/ TBH- To Be Fair or To Be Honest. Along similar lines, and not too hard to remember.
Hopefully, this was useful for those who struggle when it comes to deciphering texts. Now, put the phone back before they notice!
By Emma Cocker
Tagged in Parenting Parenting Tips