To "baby" a sweetheart or a loved one...what does that mean exactly?

[Phoenix2017]

Originally Posted by onihC

A girl can call me baby, oogie woogie, etc. it's nice but I rather pay attention to her actions. If her actions are all good then her calling me this or that takes a different meaning.

To quote from the movie A League of Their Own: "Can't we do both?" (Lol, "both", in this case meaning actions and words, at the same time )

[Phoenix2017]

Originally Posted by darrensmooth

I was going to add an s to mothering (smothering) because thats what it seems like to me

Fascinating...at what point, do you think it reaches the "smothering" part? Meaning, can a person successfully do it, but without necessarily being smothering?

[Phoenix2017]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

When you look at them and get all those warm feelings---you just can't help yourself--you want to take care of them.

He/she might be 'difficult' or imperfect but however he/she is it suits you.

lol--like the smaller kind. Whatever it is that the person needs/wants you want to help.

YouTube - ‪Nick Lucas - Side By Side (1944)‬‏

An excellent analogy! Thx

[purehuman]

To baby a sweetheart or loved one, to me means that what you're doing for them, they COULD do for themselves....thus the term "baby them" used in comparison to actual babies that you HAVE to do things for........I don't think helping someone who's aged or hurt would be in that category.To baby someone (depending on the people involved) can be a way of just showing extra attention, and giving more hugs and kisses.

[TabulaRasa]

To me, babying is when a person isn't held accountable for anything. It's not about pet names, doing nice things for your SO, etc. It's when everything somebody does or doesn't do is given a pass as okay, even when it's not. It's when somebody's always bailing somebody out of messes of their own creation. Giving somebody all kinds of passes, like one would a child who's still learning.