Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:As in, “I gotta pick up the kid from school today”? Or are people overreacting if they find that offensive?
Yes. Young humans are not goats and should be referred to as child or children or by their given name.
Anonymous wrote:As in, “I gotta pick up the kid from school today”? Or are people overreacting if they find that offensive?
Anonymous wrote:I know someone who refers to her kid as “the heir” so the kid is better than that.
Anonymous wrote:My father always referred to us as “kiddo”. I think it’s condescending and rude and unkind.
Anonymous wrote:Goats have kids so yes...I do think it is a class issue.My parents always referred to us as children and I do the same.
Anonymous wrote:The only person I know who does this also says "the Wife." He's affecting a particular kind of persona that he thinks is funny. It's not offensive, though I do find him a little annoying.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The only person I know who does this also says "the Wife." He's affecting a particular kind of persona that he thinks is funny. It's not offensive, though I do find him a little annoying.
"The Wife" always sounds like someone referring to a very old car or appliance he hasn't gotten around to replacing yet.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I refer to my kids as "the kids" when discussing with DH. As in "are you getting the kids from aftercare or am I?" I don't see what the issue is.
When there is only one child, you are substituting "kid" for their name, so it is intentionally depersonalizing the individual a nameless generic with no identity -- much like saying "the wife," when simply saying her name would be more appropriate, treating her as an individual instead of "a role." Whereas, referring to a collective group a children as "kids" is short hand for naming each of them individually and in context unnecessarily; same for family, or grandparents, or class. The kid, the wife, the old ball and chain, the old man -- those are intentionally depersonalizing terms, though in context they can also become terms of endearment.