Any web novice will tell you that more often than not it feels like people online are speaking in some type of foreign code, YKWIM?  For the most part, cryptic jargon is accredited to teen girls (OMG, FML I broke a nail!) and Twitterers (IMHO, site A is FTW, while site B =FAIL …thoughts? LMK) – but as I recently delved deeply into the world of the online mom (aka the “Mommy Blogger”) while working with the American Association of Orthodontists (check out our case study for the campaign, here), I was surprised to see many unfamiliar acronyms sprinkled throughout momversations: DSD, DH, DS1, SAHM – what the heck were they talking about!?

Turns out, most of the alien text was acting as a stand-in for family members… which made sense because Moms like to talk about their kids.  A lot.

DD = Dear Daughter

DS = Dear Son

DH = Dear (or Darn, depends on who you ask…) Husband

MIL = Mother in Law

FIL = Father in Law

DSD = Dear Step Daughter

DS1 = First Son

…and so on.

These shorthand abbreviations for family members were created not only to eliminate the need to write out names over and over again, but to allow Moms to maintain anonymity and protect the privacy of their families online.  Above and beyond the use of DD & DS, I encountered many Mom bloggers referencing their children with other pet/code names (Bug, Bear, etc) to maintain personality, while still providing ambiguity.

As with any niche community, Moms converse with their own lingo (occasionally borrowing a LOL and an OMG from their teen daughters) apart from the need to be vague about personal details.  A lot of mom talk is used to identify Moms, such as WAHM (Work at Home Mom) vs. SAHM (Stay at Home Mom… Dooce Blogger, Heather Armstrong, has her own alternative definition of SAHM ).