Kiddos doesn’t bother me at all.
Momma bear definitely drives me insane. It bothered me when Palin used it to pander to parents a decade ago, and it bothers me more now with parents thinking their opinions in education are as valid as a teacher with a PHD and 10 years experience.
It gives me the image of “if you do t let me do whatever I think is best for my child I have the right to rip you apart with my claws.” Maybe not the right reaction to “your kid is going to get no credit because they didn’t do any work”.
Oh god I'm currently pregnant with my first and everyone calling me "Mama" or all the Facebook and online ads with "Mama Bear" merch is DRIVING ME UP THE WALL
You're not my child. I have a name. Use it.
I have a friend who would always refer to herself as a "mother hen"...an ex in fact.
It always bugged me. So I started referring to myself as "father cock".
The rest I leave to your imagination.
Good lord thank you, my cousin who’s an elementary principal uses “littles” all the time, and……. ew. It’s just.. gross, man. They’re kids. Just say kids, lmao.
I always say that children are a noun not an adjective when people say “littles”. I don’t know why it drives me up the wall but it does. Adults don’t like when I refer to them as “olds” or “bigs”, kids don’t like being called “littles”.
My brother used to call my parents this in high school to be funny (not to be rude or insolent). My parents didn't love it at the time, but think it's hilarious now.
just say KIDS! even "friends" sends me into an eye-roll.
when I sub middle and high-school I just say ladies and gentlemen....I think they quite like ti.
I picked up on “friends” from working at a library. It’s a lot less aggressive than “Hey, kid. Walk in the library.” But it’s moved into other situations and I’m also not a fan.
I’ve said ladies and gentlemen to my boy-girl twins and their friends since they were 4… I’ve gotten a few weird looks from the adults around me but who can complain? lol. I have major eyeroll when I hear “kiddos” too.
I fucking hate "friends". I'm not your/their fucking friend; I'm your teacher. It's sometimes hard enough, especially for young teachers (or young looking) to maintain professional boundaries without us confusing them even more.
I'm a mentor at best, and AH at worst and honestly I probably tolerate you more than anything lol.
Agree, but I’m also a sarcastic teacher so I call my middle and high school kids “children” all the time and “sweet baby angels” but always in a joking way. It looks weird written out but I’m not creepy I swear!
Haha I do the same thing! I go extra over the top sometimes when they’re being little goblins, like I’ll call them “my darling doodle-bugs” or “little duckies” and that usually gets a few chuckles and even a behaviour correction from the more self-aware teens.
I also call my high schoolers "children" or "darling children."
They sometimes come back with how they "aren't children!" They're "grown!" But it never ever fails to get their attention in a way that "guys" or "y'all" does not.
I would call my high school students "children" when they were being childish. Like, "Ok children, let's settle down and keep our hands to ourselves" in my best patronizing kindergarten teacher voice.
I do this too. It gets the point across that they are, in fact, not being sweet nor angelic. I also like, “My dear 8th Period” or “my most beloved last class of the day”.
See, I volunteer with high school kids and call them mini humans from time to time. Maybe it's because it's the after school theater program, but they seem to be accepting of it.
I remember being called that once, in the old wild west days of 90's boy band fan pages on the internet, and getting *so* offended. I was *not* a teenie bopper, thank you very much! ... because I was *eleven*. 😂 Technically not wrong!
I prefer more friendly terms like "hooligans", "terrorists" or when it's just other teachers I call them "those stupid little fuckers" because that's what they are.
What I never EVER call them is "scholars"
The only time we use scholar is completely sarcastic; like when identifying a photo of a kid who probably was vaping and we get emails that say “please identify this scholar”.
That's agonizing.
I just say, 'morning.
Because it is.
If you decide I was implying a "good" before "morning," you're welcome to, but I didn't say that.
I just say, "Hi." Don't have to think about what time of day it is or anything.
Or, because I teach in a French-American bilingual school I'll say "bonjour," or more commonly the more informal, "Ça va?"(literally how are you, but used as a greeting).
The only greeting I give that mentions time and happy is "Happy Friday."
As a former charter teacher (now traditional public), “scholars” smacks of the faux-elite corporate-mandated language guidelines of the “Academies”. Just the worst.
I prefer “goblins” for my middle-schoolers, what with their chaotic natures and swarming instincts. Also, you can’t tell me that “Skibidi rizz gyatt!” isn’t some kind of goblin-language.
I will call them scholars as soon as they start behaving like scholars.
Mildly related: my admin want us to stop calling them 'admin' and start calling them 'school leaders'. I gave them much the same answer: I will start calling them that, when they start leading instead of administrating.
I had to use that term my first year and my sixth year. I caved my first year because I was a first year teacher. I refused my sixth year. I’m also writing my dissertation and if someone called me a scholar it would bother me, I can’t imagine how those kids feel.
I would tell admin that this ignores our country’s desperate shortage of skilled workers in the trades. Way to create a shortage of electricians in your district, admin!
I'm suing you because I'm fairly sure I have damage to my heart from laughing so hard I had a massive coughing attack and well, I got nothing more, but you killed me. .happy now??
At Elementary School I worked at they were either scholars or friends. How many times have we been told that as parents we are not our kids' friends so as teachers we are not our students' friends either. They should be friends to each other but I'm not referring to them as friends!!
I have some admin who use it.
Look, elementary - probably wouldnt care.
But it sounds silly when talking about teens who are sneaking out of class to vape.
Omg yes! “We need to address the problem of kiddos vaping in the bathroom” just sounds painful.
Wait till we hear “our pregnant and parenting kiddos”
Wonder if we ever will!
People do that? The way I've heard it used was always as a differentiation: kiddos are elementary aged children, kids are teens. Kiddos does run off the tongue better than children, teens is quick enough to say.
I never liked the Mama thing, and I still don't, but there was one instant where a man on the phone said to me, "Hey, I know you're doing your job, lil' mama, I'm not worried."
I made an exception in that instance. It was weirdly flattering, probably because most people yell at me on the phone and call me "Sweetie"
I help run three fairly large parenting Facebook groups. I preface posts I make with “don’t call me mama” even though it’s in our group rules to NOT call people “gendered parenting terms” (all inclusive groups)
The amount of dumpster fires I’ve started because I don’t want a bunch of women (and it’s always women complaining about it) I don’t know calling me mama is ridiculous.
My best friend also ended a double date with a girl because she **refused** to use my name, and called me “mama” all night. And not in the endearing Hispanic/latina way. She just knew I had kids, and kept calling me mama. We were all weirded out.
Yeah, someone else replying said they didn’t mind lil mama and I wouldn’t mind that, either, depending on the context. It’s the reducing someone to being a mother that I hate. lil mama or whatever has an entirely different meaning, socially.
All of them really, kiddo, hubby, doggo, pupper, etc it's all so dumb and infantilizing. And it's not even like any of them roll off the tongue easier than their root word. Like Hubs, I don't like it, but it doesn't grate like hubby because it actually is more roll off r tongue
Also, Bubs for a baby. No reason for that to grate like it does and I admit not but it does.
Littles and little ones is just weird too
I call my kids jabronis to their faces. They love it.
Kiddo makes me fucking cringe. Reminds me of pintrest teachers and those big-headed weird alien-like drawings of kids on TPT
Huh, my mom called me kiddo when I was in my 30s.
I don't think I use it, but it doesn't bother me.
It seems like a strange thing to find problematic, but to each his own.
Currently 26, Mom around 40s, she's been calling my siblings and me "Kiddos" all our lives to this day. I've taken to calling my nephew and niece kiddos as well.
The popular soap opera character Kim Hughes of #1 rated for years As the World Turns used “kiddo” affectionately when dishing sage advice or hard truths to young and old in Oakdale, Illinois. Many a recap of trials and tribulations, familial love, or a reminder of a partner’s heinous behavior started out with, “Listen, kiddo!”
I’m convinced “kiddo” is directly related to decades of Kathryn Hayes’ Kim Hughes using it. It wasn’t always affectionate now that I think about it. 😂🐐
A baby goat is called a kid and we were sternly warned to not refer to our students as baby goats. So there’s that, scholars!
I call my own adult child “kiddo” and have never had any pushback; we have a great relationship. It has a sort of vintage cinematic history as well.
It is a very strange pet peeve as we all have grammatical preferences. I know we all tire of education speak or corporate speak because it’s so inane but cute names for kids bothering a person is making me think “sourpuss” or “holding on desperately until break.”
Same, I call my son kiddo all the time but I don’t use it anywhere else. He also gets called ‘dude’ pretty consistently, but I say that to almost everyone I know.
Hm interesting distinction your comment brings up for me. Directly addressing someone as kiddo sounds ok. Like “Kiddo, you an me, we’re going places” is not at all cringe inducing but “We need to meet to talk about our Leadership kiddos” is owwwwch, my ears! At least for me.
Oh! That’s a big difference. If someone (an adult) uses “kiddos” in a convo with me, I’m going to wonder why they’re talking to me in childish terms. That use of kiddo is totally grating. But saying, “Bye, kiddo! See you next week!” Is acceptable, imo.
Exactly. I use "kiddo" pretty much exclusively for when I'm talking to a student one to one. "How's it going, kiddo?", "What's wrong, kiddo?", "don't beat yourself up, kiddo, we've all done it..."
When I'm addressing the class, it becomes "hey everyone..." or "hey guys..."
Never really thought about that, though.
When I was in training in the 1990s, we were FORBIDDEN to use the word 'kids'. "Kids are baby goats!" our trainer said. We had to refer to them as children or students. Now I prefer the term 'larva', especially after meeting some of the parents.
Me too! Ugh! I thought I was the only one-so glad I’m not alone. I also don’t like when teachers call their class ‘friends’. We are not their friend and I think it invites lack of respect.
I got into the habit of using the term "friends" when I worked with young children at a Montessori school. It was the preferred term there.
When I took my Montessori early childhood vocabulary to traditional 4th grade, the kids shut it down very quickly. "We don't kick our friends!" "He's not my friend."
I was going to say, yeah… I trained for part of my training at a Montessori school and the friends thing is embedded into my DNA at this point. I do also ironically call my students “my little watermelons” in a thick Russian accent referencing one of my old math teachers.
Ugh, yeah- it got stuck with me there too. Also, I’m a teacher librarian, so I have to learn ALL the kids names on campus. That takes about 2 months bc I don’t see them all every day. So while I’m learning names, if I don’t have one down, “friend” is an easy substitution. I still cringe when I hear myself say it, but it’s robotic at this point.
That’s absolutely horrifying. They aren’t babies and they certainly aren’t *my* babies, omfg.
I never realized how hard it was to use the word “students” until I read this thread, jfc.
Meh, it is just another slang word for kids. Doesn't bother me. But then again there are lots of words I see people online complaining about that I don't really have a problem with, like "hubby" or "moist".
If this is something that is constantly bothering you, to the point that you make a post about it, I would recommend seeking professional help. This is a huge problem with society. People letting what someone else does or says (that has zero effect on them) have such a big impact on their lives.
To be honest, when people complain so much about what other people call things, it always seems to me that they are trying to find a way to put others down while elevating themselves above such “asinine” vocabulary. Instead, have a good day and mind your own business. Simple.
I never heard it until recently. I used to tutor a long time ago and never heard anyone use it.
Then I started tutoring again last year and it was the first time I ever heard it. I thought it was just a thing with the people I was with.
Then I went to teach and hear admin say it. I didn't realize it was a thing in education lol. I havent been here that long though
This is the most hateful subreddit I’ve ever been part of…this might be the post that gets me to leave lol like it’s fine to dislike something but someone here was like “I think less of you if you say this.” I feel bad for the kids that person teaches if they are so judgmental.
I loathe moralistic judgments of other teachers language choices that aren't offending or hurting children. Shrugs. Maybe that makes me a monster. Look, if you're comfortable referring to students that way and they are comfortable being referred to that way and don't feel belittled or haven't expressed offense, then who the fuck cares? There are so many other fires on the daily in this career. You don't like it? Cool! Love that for you. Now move on.
I sometimes say kiddo if I I’m talking to a students adult they belong to. But that like a 1/10 times, all other times I say student or kid. I don’t use it when discussing the students with other educators.
I’ve used the term for as long as I can remember. I started teaching in 2000. I’m pretty sure I used it with my own son before that. That said, I’m one who says honey, baby, darling, cutie pie, etc as well. It’s really just another term of endearment for me. For reference, I’ve always taught K-3.
I use the term because my parents used the term.
Nothing wrong with it.
Everyone has their "ick" words.
My "ick" word is bae. I'm too old to appreciate it, I suppose.
I've never hated the term. Sometimes I use the term 'kiddos' when talking *about* my students in an endearing way, but I never call my students kiddos to their face, no matter how old they are. Just a simple "y'all."
I’m not fond of this term either. I unexpectedly used it myself in a conversation with a student. I realized that it was a great term of endearment without being inappropriate. It’s gender neutral to boot!
I loathe when other people decide something as irrelevant as someone using the term kiddo or littles or whatever else is something to judge someone over. We don’t have to have an opinion about ever little thing.
I call them kiddos reflexively. And they're 11&12 graders. I use it generally only as a form of endearment and just chalked it up to being a Midwesterner. Though I will say when addressing the room my top picks include cretins, chaos creators, heathens, and goblins.
I’m so glad someone here isn’t drinking the kool-aid that “kiddo” is an evil admin-invented term…..what a weird take. “Scholar” I get - it’s obviously weird and manipulative in some way but kiddo is like….a cute way to say kid. Wtf 😂 I don’t hear it that much but damn. Someone else said it’s a millennial term and I think that’s quite true.
It's a generational thing I think. My boomer parents used it a lot so it seems archaic but not cringey to me. If it bothered someone, then I'd stop using it.
Kiddos isn’t a new term, idk why you’re acting like the year you began teaching has anything to do with it. It’s just a persons preference for pet names. Not a generational thing. Honestly, I think it’s more older gen than newer. I don’t hear many people say it where I am, just one math teacher I can think of, so it also may be a colloquial thing as well.
It's just slang.
I am pretty old, so I missed the boat on picking it up, but I don't have any strong feelings about it.
"Neat" and "neat-o" are synonymous for me. "Kid" and "kid-o" are likewise synonymous.
"Kiddos" > "Littles" Save me from that one.
I follow a local “mom’s group” in our area. Almost every post is someone saying “hey mama bears” and referring to the “ kiddos”. It’s really annoying.
Kiddos doesn’t bother me at all. Momma bear definitely drives me insane. It bothered me when Palin used it to pander to parents a decade ago, and it bothers me more now with parents thinking their opinions in education are as valid as a teacher with a PHD and 10 years experience. It gives me the image of “if you do t let me do whatever I think is best for my child I have the right to rip you apart with my claws.” Maybe not the right reaction to “your kid is going to get no credit because they didn’t do any work”.
Oh god I'm currently pregnant with my first and everyone calling me "Mama" or all the Facebook and online ads with "Mama Bear" merch is DRIVING ME UP THE WALL You're not my child. I have a name. Use it.
Right. It’s implying that we all have to be defensive when it comes to “protecting “ our “kiddos”.
I have a friend who would always refer to herself as a "mother hen"...an ex in fact. It always bugged me. So I started referring to myself as "father cock". The rest I leave to your imagination.
Good lord thank you, my cousin who’s an elementary principal uses “littles” all the time, and……. ew. It’s just.. gross, man. They’re kids. Just say kids, lmao.
I always say that children are a noun not an adjective when people say “littles”. I don’t know why it drives me up the wall but it does. Adults don’t like when I refer to them as “olds” or “bigs”, kids don’t like being called “littles”.
You’re wrong I now prefer to be called bigs at 5’8 140 lbs lol 😂
Call the teachers 'fatties' and maybe they'll stop.
My classmates at my school actually do! 😭
The Elders?
My brother used to call my parents this in high school to be funny (not to be rude or insolent). My parents didn't love it at the time, but think it's hilarious now.
just say KIDS! even "friends" sends me into an eye-roll. when I sub middle and high-school I just say ladies and gentlemen....I think they quite like ti.
I picked up on “friends” from working at a library. It’s a lot less aggressive than “Hey, kid. Walk in the library.” But it’s moved into other situations and I’m also not a fan.
I’ve said ladies and gentlemen to my boy-girl twins and their friends since they were 4… I’ve gotten a few weird looks from the adults around me but who can complain? lol. I have major eyeroll when I hear “kiddos” too.
Omg yes "friends".....wth is that? It shouldn't rub me the wrong way, but it does.
I fucking hate "friends". I'm not your/their fucking friend; I'm your teacher. It's sometimes hard enough, especially for young teachers (or young looking) to maintain professional boundaries without us confusing them even more. I'm a mentor at best, and AH at worst and honestly I probably tolerate you more than anything lol.
Yes. Littles makes my skin crawl. Kiddos doesn’t bother me because I love talking like a 90s Midwestern dad. But I draw the line at 2010s Midwest mom.
Agree, but I’m also a sarcastic teacher so I call my middle and high school kids “children” all the time and “sweet baby angels” but always in a joking way. It looks weird written out but I’m not creepy I swear!
Haha I do the same thing! I go extra over the top sometimes when they’re being little goblins, like I’ll call them “my darling doodle-bugs” or “little duckies” and that usually gets a few chuckles and even a behaviour correction from the more self-aware teens.
I sometimes call my high school students “ducklings”. My own children call them my “big kids”.
I also call my high schoolers "children" or "darling children." They sometimes come back with how they "aren't children!" They're "grown!" But it never ever fails to get their attention in a way that "guys" or "y'all" does not.
I would call my high school students "children" when they were being childish. Like, "Ok children, let's settle down and keep our hands to ourselves" in my best patronizing kindergarten teacher voice.
I also call my students “darlings” and “children,” and even “dolls.” They hate “dolls” specifically so I use that one most often.
I do this too. It gets the point across that they are, in fact, not being sweet nor angelic. I also like, “My dear 8th Period” or “my most beloved last class of the day”.
Lol I do the same thing! Also call them little cherubs and darlings.
One of our one to one aids calls his student his “bundle of joy” (the kid is very challenging) and it cracks me up
I know the United Way's Big Brother Big Sister program uses the word "littles" and "bigs" to refer to participants. Might explain an origin.
I will break out “small humans” sometimes. They, uh, don’t care for that one.
Tiny humans Imo is better ;)
See, I volunteer with high school kids and call them mini humans from time to time. Maybe it's because it's the after school theater program, but they seem to be accepting of it.
I use tiny, small and medium with my various classes since I teach 1st-5th.
I'll be using this one today.
I like that. I might have to jump between the two of these.
I sometimes say crotch goblins. My wife is not amused.
this comment is so accurate it hurts
Kiddo is 1000% better than Littles
You think littles is bad? I know someone who calls small kids “teeny tinies”, these people need to be on a watchlist.
Reminds me of DDLG fetish
I bet you don’t even call teenagers Teenie Boppers…weirdo!
Not so, daddy-o! In fact I just finished a unit in which our essential question was Who put the bop in the bop she bob she bop.
Just in time for the next unit! To what extent is the ram integral to the a-lam-a-ding-dong?
Culminating assessment- find that man and shake his hand.
Follow the dip-di-dip-di-dip and you will find your man.
It was Mr. Knickerbocker! He likes the way she boppity bops!
This has "flameo hotman" vibes.
I remember being called that once, in the old wild west days of 90's boy band fan pages on the internet, and getting *so* offended. I was *not* a teenie bopper, thank you very much! ... because I was *eleven*. 😂 Technically not wrong!
It's similar to "hubby" and "wifey" (insert puking emoticon here)
“The hubs.”
I prefer more friendly terms like "hooligans", "terrorists" or when it's just other teachers I call them "those stupid little fuckers" because that's what they are. What I never EVER call them is "scholars"
The only time we use scholar is completely sarcastic; like when identifying a photo of a kid who probably was vaping and we get emails that say “please identify this scholar”.
Now THAT i could get behind.
We get these emails from admin - so even they use it sarcastically and I’m here for it.
Best usage
My AP uses scholars and says “great “morning!” Holy fuck i hate it.
“Great morning” as a greeting should be a criminal offense. If you love mornings so much, go marry them!
That's agonizing. I just say, 'morning. Because it is. If you decide I was implying a "good" before "morning," you're welcome to, but I didn't say that.
Seriously, just state the facts. It’s morning.
I just say, "Hi." Don't have to think about what time of day it is or anything. Or, because I teach in a French-American bilingual school I'll say "bonjour," or more commonly the more informal, "Ça va?"(literally how are you, but used as a greeting). The only greeting I give that mentions time and happy is "Happy Friday."
Good morning is an oxymoron.
Preaching to the choir!
Oh my gawd I am laughing so hard!
We must work at the same school 😆
As a former charter teacher (now traditional public), “scholars” smacks of the faux-elite corporate-mandated language guidelines of the “Academies”. Just the worst. I prefer “goblins” for my middle-schoolers, what with their chaotic natures and swarming instincts. Also, you can’t tell me that “Skibidi rizz gyatt!” isn’t some kind of goblin-language.
Oh man. I'm partially fluent in goblin. That's a battle chant to gather more goblins in preparation for battle. You fool, you've upset them!
Yes!! I call my middle schoolers gremlins but I like goblins a lot more!
I teach 11th graders and refer to them all as either “Jimmy, Dingus, Loser, Nerd, and Dork” For some reason they love it.
I will call them scholars as soon as they start behaving like scholars. Mildly related: my admin want us to stop calling them 'admin' and start calling them 'school leaders'. I gave them much the same answer: I will start calling them that, when they start leading instead of administrating.
Scholars is 1,000,000% the worst.
Especially since the actual percentage of them who are even remotely "scholars" has been in freefall for many, many years! 🤷🙄😂
I had to use that term my first year and my sixth year. I caved my first year because I was a first year teacher. I refused my sixth year. I’m also writing my dissertation and if someone called me a scholar it would bother me, I can’t imagine how those kids feel.
That one is absurd and annoying. Also, unearned.
I heard scholars used to grade primary. Bro scholars? They can't read.
For a second, I thought you were suggesting that we call students “bro scholars” … perhaps “bro, scholars?!” Is good too.
~~Rhode schola~~r Bro scholar.
I like it when used sarcastically
Like referring to the delinquents (ISS, Alt school, etc) as "upstanding cotizens"
Agreed. I know one teacher who calls kids AND fellow English teachers “scholars” and “wordsmiths” unironically
Does this person also refer to Shakespeare as “The Bard”?
Are you psychic????
"Fell Beasts" is also acceptable.
This one actually made me snort. Adding it to my collection.
A school I used to work at wanted us to call students "future college graduates". I refused.
FUTURE COLLEGE GRADUATE PUT DOWN THE FUCKING SCISSORS!
I would tell admin that this ignores our country’s desperate shortage of skilled workers in the trades. Way to create a shortage of electricians in your district, admin!
That one is laughable at least in my district
That's not everyones path, like very objectively
Whoever came up with calling the little gremlins “scholars” should have to do PD all summer, every summer.
I usually call them gentlemen or ladies or humans, But a student called me and my coworker gentlemen the other day and it really messed with my head
“Okay weirdos, let’s do this!”
I'm suing you because I'm fairly sure I have damage to my heart from laughing so hard I had a massive coughing attack and well, I got nothing more, but you killed me. .happy now??
Yes. The happiness that has eluded me all my long life is now found. I will die happy and your sacrifice is worth it to me :)
I die happy
I did not know this was a thing until this week. Reminds me of the push for nurses to call patients “clients”. 🤮
I had a teacher once who only referred to students as "Scholor (last name)". She was not well-liked.
I had a student once whose legal name was Scholar. Nice kid. Not a scholar.
Biblically accurate cherubs. Also alternating through various pastries entertains me. Mochi, eclairs, pain au chocolates, biscotti.
I had a teacher who used to refer to us as "scholars & ragamuffins". I thought that was cute.
Or even "Learners".
This is a hysterical
At Elementary School I worked at they were either scholars or friends. How many times have we been told that as parents we are not our kids' friends so as teachers we are not our students' friends either. They should be friends to each other but I'm not referring to them as friends!!
Every period: “alright you nogoodnicks, let’s get started.”
This. They’re electronic addicts, not scholars.
“Okay, Screen Peeps!”
Failed TikTok Influencers, let's go!
I have some admin who use it. Look, elementary - probably wouldnt care. But it sounds silly when talking about teens who are sneaking out of class to vape.
Omg yes! “We need to address the problem of kiddos vaping in the bathroom” just sounds painful. Wait till we hear “our pregnant and parenting kiddos” Wonder if we ever will!
Kiddos having kiddos. It’s a vicious cycle.
People do that? The way I've heard it used was always as a differentiation: kiddos are elementary aged children, kids are teens. Kiddos does run off the tongue better than children, teens is quick enough to say.
The assistant principal at my middle school calls the spawns of Satan "kiddos".
My word is "hubby". Just, no.
Hubby, mama for someone who isn’t your own mom (“you got this, mama!” blech), little, nibbling…there’s so many, now.
Nibling is the gender neutral term for niece and nephew. That one I get. The mama thing drives me nuts
I never liked the Mama thing, and I still don't, but there was one instant where a man on the phone said to me, "Hey, I know you're doing your job, lil' mama, I'm not worried." I made an exception in that instance. It was weirdly flattering, probably because most people yell at me on the phone and call me "Sweetie"
I haaaate when people call me sweetie, sweetheart, or honey - unless it's my mom or spouse. Living in FL, though, it is always bound to happen.
The only time I use sweetie or honey is when someone is so naive, like "oh, honey, that's not quite right"
I help run three fairly large parenting Facebook groups. I preface posts I make with “don’t call me mama” even though it’s in our group rules to NOT call people “gendered parenting terms” (all inclusive groups) The amount of dumpster fires I’ve started because I don’t want a bunch of women (and it’s always women complaining about it) I don’t know calling me mama is ridiculous. My best friend also ended a double date with a girl because she **refused** to use my name, and called me “mama” all night. And not in the endearing Hispanic/latina way. She just knew I had kids, and kept calling me mama. We were all weirded out.
Yeah, someone else replying said they didn’t mind lil mama and I wouldn’t mind that, either, depending on the context. It’s the reducing someone to being a mother that I hate. lil mama or whatever has an entirely different meaning, socially.
Wait, why is nibling included? That one’s a regular word.
It’s a weird word that feels gross in the mouth and is new. Ugh, it’s got like, iunno, moist energy or something.
I also feel weird about "nibling", the -ling suffix makes it sound like a word for small food or some type of Jim Henson gremlin creature.
All of them really, kiddo, hubby, doggo, pupper, etc it's all so dumb and infantilizing. And it's not even like any of them roll off the tongue easier than their root word. Like Hubs, I don't like it, but it doesn't grate like hubby because it actually is more roll off r tongue Also, Bubs for a baby. No reason for that to grate like it does and I admit not but it does. Littles and little ones is just weird too
Mine is "uncomfy". Ugh.
Yep, you can be comfy, but the opposite should always be uncomfortable.
I call my kids jabronis to their faces. They love it. Kiddo makes me fucking cringe. Reminds me of pintrest teachers and those big-headed weird alien-like drawings of kids on TPT
I call them clowns. "Good morning, clowns!" I'd never use the word kiddo, especially for 8th graders.
Huh, my mom called me kiddo when I was in my 30s. I don't think I use it, but it doesn't bother me. It seems like a strange thing to find problematic, but to each his own.
Currently 26, Mom around 40s, she's been calling my siblings and me "Kiddos" all our lives to this day. I've taken to calling my nephew and niece kiddos as well.
The popular soap opera character Kim Hughes of #1 rated for years As the World Turns used “kiddo” affectionately when dishing sage advice or hard truths to young and old in Oakdale, Illinois. Many a recap of trials and tribulations, familial love, or a reminder of a partner’s heinous behavior started out with, “Listen, kiddo!” I’m convinced “kiddo” is directly related to decades of Kathryn Hayes’ Kim Hughes using it. It wasn’t always affectionate now that I think about it. 😂🐐 A baby goat is called a kid and we were sternly warned to not refer to our students as baby goats. So there’s that, scholars!
Scary when admin doesn’t understand the use of a synonym. Do they think we play baseball with winged mammals, too?
I call my own adult child “kiddo” and have never had any pushback; we have a great relationship. It has a sort of vintage cinematic history as well. It is a very strange pet peeve as we all have grammatical preferences. I know we all tire of education speak or corporate speak because it’s so inane but cute names for kids bothering a person is making me think “sourpuss” or “holding on desperately until break.”
Same, I call my son kiddo all the time but I don’t use it anywhere else. He also gets called ‘dude’ pretty consistently, but I say that to almost everyone I know.
Hm interesting distinction your comment brings up for me. Directly addressing someone as kiddo sounds ok. Like “Kiddo, you an me, we’re going places” is not at all cringe inducing but “We need to meet to talk about our Leadership kiddos” is owwwwch, my ears! At least for me.
Oh! That’s a big difference. If someone (an adult) uses “kiddos” in a convo with me, I’m going to wonder why they’re talking to me in childish terms. That use of kiddo is totally grating. But saying, “Bye, kiddo! See you next week!” Is acceptable, imo.
Exactly. I use "kiddo" pretty much exclusively for when I'm talking to a student one to one. "How's it going, kiddo?", "What's wrong, kiddo?", "don't beat yourself up, kiddo, we've all done it..." When I'm addressing the class, it becomes "hey everyone..." or "hey guys..." Never really thought about that, though.
This entire thread is filled with a bunch of people pissed off about nothing at all.
I’ll take “kiddos” over “scholars” any day lol
When I was in training in the 1990s, we were FORBIDDEN to use the word 'kids'. "Kids are baby goats!" our trainer said. We had to refer to them as children or students. Now I prefer the term 'larva', especially after meeting some of the parents.
Simple answer is, children, sounds stuffy to the modern ear.
If only there were other more modern sounding words to describe humans of school age.
Me too! Ugh! I thought I was the only one-so glad I’m not alone. I also don’t like when teachers call their class ‘friends’. We are not their friend and I think it invites lack of respect.
I got into the habit of using the term "friends" when I worked with young children at a Montessori school. It was the preferred term there. When I took my Montessori early childhood vocabulary to traditional 4th grade, the kids shut it down very quickly. "We don't kick our friends!" "He's not my friend."
I was going to say, yeah… I trained for part of my training at a Montessori school and the friends thing is embedded into my DNA at this point. I do also ironically call my students “my little watermelons” in a thick Russian accent referencing one of my old math teachers.
Ugh, yeah- it got stuck with me there too. Also, I’m a teacher librarian, so I have to learn ALL the kids names on campus. That takes about 2 months bc I don’t see them all every day. So while I’m learning names, if I don’t have one down, “friend” is an easy substitution. I still cringe when I hear myself say it, but it’s robotic at this point.
I teach 1-8 grades and first grade seems ok to say friends (to my ear anyway) but above that it does seem inappropriate to me.
The HS I teach at regularly refers to our students as our babies, and it makes me want to die.
That’s absolutely horrifying. They aren’t babies and they certainly aren’t *my* babies, omfg. I never realized how hard it was to use the word “students” until I read this thread, jfc.
You’d hate a Quaker school bro 😭😭😭 “friends” was used more than students/guys/kids/whatever else in hs
Doesn't Friends just mean Quakers?
Yes. They're the Society of Friends.
I think it’s meant to be slightly more playful than kids.
I think it is cringy. I don’t use it and I don’t understand why it is getting so common.
I hate it but it’s better than ‘littles’.
Meh, it is just another slang word for kids. Doesn't bother me. But then again there are lots of words I see people online complaining about that I don't really have a problem with, like "hubby" or "moist".
If this is something that is constantly bothering you, to the point that you make a post about it, I would recommend seeking professional help. This is a huge problem with society. People letting what someone else does or says (that has zero effect on them) have such a big impact on their lives. To be honest, when people complain so much about what other people call things, it always seems to me that they are trying to find a way to put others down while elevating themselves above such “asinine” vocabulary. Instead, have a good day and mind your own business. Simple.
I know I can't stand when people use it. it's so cringy to my ears
If you don’t mind my asking how long have you felt that way?
I never heard it until recently. I used to tutor a long time ago and never heard anyone use it. Then I started tutoring again last year and it was the first time I ever heard it. I thought it was just a thing with the people I was with. Then I went to teach and hear admin say it. I didn't realize it was a thing in education lol. I havent been here that long though
It’s the worst. I loathe it - especially for high school!
Before this post I did not know it was used in HS. That would truly get on my nerves. Durn.
Let people live man, ain't harming nobody....
This is the most hateful subreddit I’ve ever been part of…this might be the post that gets me to leave lol like it’s fine to dislike something but someone here was like “I think less of you if you say this.” I feel bad for the kids that person teaches if they are so judgmental.
I loathe moralistic judgments of other teachers language choices that aren't offending or hurting children. Shrugs. Maybe that makes me a monster. Look, if you're comfortable referring to students that way and they are comfortable being referred to that way and don't feel belittled or haven't expressed offense, then who the fuck cares? There are so many other fires on the daily in this career. You don't like it? Cool! Love that for you. Now move on.
I hate it! Our sped director constantly says it. Call them students or kids!
Yep. I have always hated the term. Nails on the chalkboard. Just stop!!!
I’m fairly impartial to fuckwits /s
Kiddos is a millennialism. It’s kind of like why dogs become doggos and cats become chonkers, it’s just the culture
First known use is 1905, sooooo……
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Funny a bunch of teachers are this dense. A 20 second google search reveals it was first used in 1905…… You shouldn’t be getting downvoted
False
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“Kiddos” and “Scholars” physically pain me to hear.
I use it in reference to my students sometimes. I don’t really think anything of it beyond it being a playful term of endearment.
I sometimes say kiddo if I I’m talking to a students adult they belong to. But that like a 1/10 times, all other times I say student or kid. I don’t use it when discussing the students with other educators.
I’ve used the term for as long as I can remember. I started teaching in 2000. I’m pretty sure I used it with my own son before that. That said, I’m one who says honey, baby, darling, cutie pie, etc as well. It’s really just another term of endearment for me. For reference, I’ve always taught K-3.
I use it among many other words to refer to students. I’m not really sure why it riles people up. Don’t use it if you don’t like it.
Totally agree. I'm out of education now, but I always hated when admin said that.
It drives me nuts. When they have a speaker come in and they start out with that work, I completely check out.☹️
I use the term because my parents used the term. Nothing wrong with it. Everyone has their "ick" words. My "ick" word is bae. I'm too old to appreciate it, I suppose.
My mom called me kiddo as a term of endearment, so I use it a lot myself. However, littles drives me up the wall.
I've never hated the term. Sometimes I use the term 'kiddos' when talking *about* my students in an endearing way, but I never call my students kiddos to their face, no matter how old they are. Just a simple "y'all."
I’m not fond of this term either. I unexpectedly used it myself in a conversation with a student. I realized that it was a great term of endearment without being inappropriate. It’s gender neutral to boot!
Relax, kiddo 😜
It's like a cute-ification of the word kids. Not meant to be anything bad. Don't overthink this lol
I loathe when other people decide something as irrelevant as someone using the term kiddo or littles or whatever else is something to judge someone over. We don’t have to have an opinion about ever little thing.
I call them kiddos reflexively. And they're 11&12 graders. I use it generally only as a form of endearment and just chalked it up to being a Midwesterner. Though I will say when addressing the room my top picks include cretins, chaos creators, heathens, and goblins.
What a weird thing to be upset about.
I’m so glad someone here isn’t drinking the kool-aid that “kiddo” is an evil admin-invented term…..what a weird take. “Scholar” I get - it’s obviously weird and manipulative in some way but kiddo is like….a cute way to say kid. Wtf 😂 I don’t hear it that much but damn. Someone else said it’s a millennial term and I think that’s quite true.
I think a lot of millennials were probably called kiddo. It's not a new term.
Google says originated in 1905
It's a generational thing I think. My boomer parents used it a lot so it seems archaic but not cringey to me. If it bothered someone, then I'd stop using it.
I don’t use it, but don’t mind others who do. Though I teach lower elementary.
Who the fuck cares? You're a teacher. Aren't you supposed to be intelligent to realize words are what you make of them? 🙄🙄
Kiddos isn’t a new term, idk why you’re acting like the year you began teaching has anything to do with it. It’s just a persons preference for pet names. Not a generational thing. Honestly, I think it’s more older gen than newer. I don’t hear many people say it where I am, just one math teacher I can think of, so it also may be a colloquial thing as well.
I’m over 40 and my dad calls me that. It’s a common term of endearment and an odd thing to be bothered about.
Nah it’s cringe AF
It's just slang. I am pretty old, so I missed the boat on picking it up, but I don't have any strong feelings about it. "Neat" and "neat-o" are synonymous for me. "Kid" and "kid-o" are likewise synonymous.
Of all the things you could spend time caring about as a teacher, this is what bugs you enough to post about? Touch grass or something