100 Text and IM Shortcuts So You Can Communicate With Your Kids

Being the mom of a teen and tween, I’ve certainly discovered that I am no longer the expert on everything.  I have officially reached the point in my parenting life where my kids can teach me as much as I teach them.  Some of what I learn from them leaves me baffled or shaking my head, but some of it I can embrace as a way to bridge the generation gap between us. 

That is certainly the case when it comes to texting and instant messaging.  When the kids first started IMing on the computer and then texting with their cell phones, I had a few lessons to teach them.  Don’t write anything you wouldn’t otherwise say to someone.  Remember that anything you write can be easily shared and can spread as quick as a wild fire so make sure it’s something that does not offend, embarrass or comprise yourself or anyone else.  And most importantly, when you have something important to say to someone, learn to say it to them face to face and don’t take the impersonal route of hiding behind a quick text or IM message.

Feeling confident that they have heard what I have had to say, it has now become their turn to teach me how they communicate in their world.  This knowledge has increased their willingness to keep me in the loop, especially when they’re with their friends and may otherwise not pick up their phones to call me.  I can now count on them to text me while they’re out and about and to keep me posted as to their whereabouts and what’s going on when I’m not around.  They’ve even been willing to sit down and teach me a lot of the shortcuts they use while texting and IMing with their friends.  At first it bothered me that kids these days don’t speak in full sentences, let alone full words, and that they’re never going to learn how to spell properly.  But I have come to realize some of the benefits of being able to communicate succinctly in this ever quickening world.  They are the ultimate shortcut sleuths!

Below are 100 of the more common text and IM abbreviations used today.  There are plenty more in use, but as a parent, these seem to be some of the ones most encountered when communicating with your kids, or deciphering what they’re talking about with their friends.  Please feel free to add any others that you’d like! THX!

100 TEXT AND IM SHORTCUTS

1. <3 - HEART
2. 2MORO - TOMORROW
3. 2NITE - TONIGHT
4. 411 - INFORMATION
5. 4EVA - FOREVER
6. 4Q - F*** YOU
7. AAF - AS A FRIEND
8. ADR - ADDRESS
9. AEAP - AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
10. AFC - AWAY FROM COMPUTER
11. AKA - ALSO KNOWN AS
12. AMAP - AS MANY/MUCH AS POSSIBLE
13. AML - ALL MY LOVE
14. ASAP - AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
15. B/C - BECAUSE
16. B4 - BEFORE
17. B4N - BYE FOR NOW
18. BBL - BE BACK LATER
19. BF - BEST FRIEND or BOYFRIEND
20. BFD - BIG F***ING DEAL
21. BFF - BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
22. BRB - BE RIGHT BACK
23. BS - BULLSH**
24. BTDT - BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
25. BTW - BY THE WAY
26. BZ - BUSY
27. CTO - CHECK THIS OUT
28. CUL8R - SEE YOU LATER
29. CYO - SEE YOU ONLINE
30. DEF - DEFINITELY
31. DIKU - DO I KNOW YOU
32. DNBL8 - DO NOT BE LATE
33. EOM - END OF MESSAGE
34. FOFL - FALLING ON FLOOR LAUGHING
35. FYI - FOR YOUR INFORMATION
36. G2G - GOT TO GO
37. GF - GIRLFRIEND
38. GFIT - GO FOR IT
39. GIGO - GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT
40. GN - GOOD NIGHT
41. GR8 - GREAT
42. GRATZ - CONGRATULATIONS
43. GTG - GOT TO GO
44. HAK - HUGS & KISSES
45. HAND - HAVE A NICE DAY
46. HB - HURRY BACK
47. IDK - I DON’T KNOW
48. IMRU - I AM, ARE YOU?
49. IYD - IN YOUR DREAMS
50. J/J - JUST JOKING
51. JK - JUST KIDDING
52. K - OK
53. L8R - LATER
54. LMAO - LAUGHING MY A** OFF
55. LOL - LAUGHING OUT LOUD
56. LTNS - LONG TIME, NO SEE
57. LY - LOVE YOU
58. MIA - MISSING IN ACTION
59. N/M - NOTHING MUCH
60. NBD - NO BIG DEAL
61. NM - NEVER MIND
62. NTK - NICE TO KNOW
63. NW - NO WAY
64. OMG - OH MY GOD
65. PAL - PARENTS ARE LISTENING
66. PAW - PARENTS ARE WATCHING
67. PIF - PAID IN FULL
68. PIMP - PEEING IN MY PANTS
69. PLZ - PLEASE
70. POS - PARENTS OVER SHOULDER
71. POV - POINT OF VIEW
72. QT - CUTIE
73. ROFL - ROLLING ON FLOOR LAUGHING
74. RU - ARE YOU?
75. S^ - WHAT’S UP?
76. SEC - WAIT A SECOND
77. SOL - SH** OUT OF LUCK
78. SUP - WHAT’S UP?
79. SYS - SEE YOU SOON
80. TAFN - THAT’S ALL FOR NOW
81. TBC - TO BE CONTINUED
82. TBD - TO BE DETERMINED
83. THX - THANKS
84. TTFN - TA TA FOR NOW
85. TY - THANK YOU
86. U - YOU
87. UOK - ARE YOU OK?
88. UR - YOU ARE
89. W/ - WITH
90. W/O - WITHOUT
91. W8 - WAIT
92. WBS - WRITE BACK SOON
93. WE - WHATEVER
94. WIP - WORK IN PROGRESS
95. WTG - WAY TO GO
96. XLNT - EXCELLENT
97. XME - EXCUSE ME
98. XOXO - HUGS AND KISSES
99. Y - WHY?
100. YW - YOU’RE WELCOME

Hopefully, by understanding what some of these common text and IM shortcuts mean, you can communicate with your kids, decipher what they’re talking to their friends about, or just show them how cool you are!