You know what I hate?
People calling my children "kidlets."
Um, like a chicken cutlet?
I'm never quite sure how to respond to the soft sing-songy voice, "Oh! How are your kidlets doing?" (Although I'm willing to bet in the speaker's head it is "How are the kidlet's doing?" because there are certain people that you just know misuse an apostrophe, am I right?) Ahem.
So of course I respond exactly how if the speaker had simply asked how my boys, or kids, were doing.
Well, almost exactly.
I think my voice drops a bit to be even deeper than it already is. I think I try to make my offspring sound more sophisticated than they really are to counter-act the bubbly diminutive nature of kidlet. Because although I might want to sniff their heads and eat them up, nobody else should find my children delicious.
They aren't kidlets. Not "kiddos" and not "your little ones," either, because my boys are no longer little. (Okay, FINE, Mothers-of-teenagers - I know my kids technically are little in comparison, but they aren't babies, toddlers, preschoolers, or kindergartners. I'd like to give at least a little respect to them once they hit grade school.)
I wonder when folks will stop being cutesy about my kids. Or perhaps, it will never stop. After all, I have a great aunt who every year in her Christmas card admonishes how quickly time has flown, and "Wow, is the Cat maybe around four now? And Splig around two?" Um, nope...they are nine and six.
Of course, I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I run into adults from my youth fairly frequently since I'm near my hometown, and it completely blows their mind that I could possibly have children. And then there is a certain guy from my father's old company who keeps asking if I'd like to do some secretarial work for him while I'm "on break." Except, I haven't been "on break" since 1996. I should be flattered.
What it boils down to is that I don't like anything that downgrades what we parents do. After all, taking care of a kidlet must be all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. Coochy-coochie-coooooo!
(and YUM!)
Comments (7)
Dude. You may have out-crankied even me on this one.
Posted by Suebob | September 17, 2010 2:41 PM
Posted on September 17, 2010 14:41
I aim to please, Suebob.
Posted by Karianna | September 17, 2010 3:11 PM
Posted on September 17, 2010 15:11
Mmm...kidlets, those sound yummy :) I got to hold a little baby today, and boy I could have eaten him up.
Posted by Nicole | September 17, 2010 3:38 PM
Posted on September 17, 2010 15:38
i prefer to call them spawn.
Posted by Laura Scarborough
|
September 17, 2010 4:41 PM
Posted on September 17, 2010 16:41
I think we all have our pet-peeves as far as what people call our kids. I don't especially like "kidlet," but it doesn't get under my skin. I actually use "kiddos" for my own kids quite a bit. But I think, in part, I use it in place of my own personal LEAST FAVORITE thing: when people simply refer to my kids as "the twins." I mean, I don't go into a fiery rage or anything, but it does bother me. And it's not just random strangers, several members of my immediate family have a tendency to refer to them as "the twins." Hi. They're two individuals. They have names. Thanks.
Posted by Goddess in Progress (@lizinprogress) | September 17, 2010 5:00 PM
Posted on September 17, 2010 17:00
Oh, I don't mind what other people call their own kids - that is parental right - I call mine silly things all the time. But, just as I wouldn't want someone else calling my husband "Honey" or any version of a pet-name, so do I not wish others to pin cutesy names on my kids.
Posted by Karianna | September 17, 2010 6:09 PM
Posted on September 17, 2010 18:09
But they taste just like chicken!
(Making mental note never to ask about Karianna's kiddos.)
Posted by Julie @ The Mom Slant | September 17, 2010 6:14 PM
Posted on September 17, 2010 18:14