My mom is 73. I am in my late 40s. She still says, "Don't you backtalk me, little girl, I'm your mother!" (The term she uses is actually a Polish endearment, but the direct translation isn't really possible.) To her, I'm The Kid even if I'm nearing menopause.

"Kiddults"?! Why not ad-chen?

Why be uneasy, I wonder? They're still *your* children, regardless of age. It's not a term that indicates their maturity level, to me. But I was raised with Polish as well as hillbilly and English, and I may be linguistically peculiar.

my mum just reffers to me as a grown adult child. She says to my niece ur mummys baby and ur mummys nannys baby. Of course a 16 month yr old wont understand that though.

My Grandma used to call me angel..... Now that is love.......wink!

Kiddults is good actually....... I do think a lot of people still just think of their kids as kids no matter the age

i get called kiddo a lot : ) or the lovely, bean.

bubby came up for awhile and i thought was part of being in Arkansas??? but found out was from New York - short for bubala - sp? Jewish endearment???????? who knew there were ANY endearments.

kiddults is a good one : )

Adultling? like a duckling or gosling? Almost ready to fly, but only short distances and always returning for support of food. and comfort.

Hmmm? Hood one to ponder

I'd say nay, sorry, but all i can think of is some not too nice alternates. i know my father would say things that he'd know i would not like. but i would expect that too. i think you can't avoid what someone else wants to call you for reasons you might detest or be ok with. at this point in my life and at this point in what today i just started calling recovery i'd just be annoyed by anything other than my name but not make any kind of to do about it. it makes them happy and i'm ok with living with that.

A gentle and respectful term is the goal, Gee, whether for an independent retiree with living parents or for a handicapped adult who is not capable of independence or one of the many shades in between the extremes.

On the receiving end, I feel diminished as a businesswoman, mother and grandmother each time I am called, "A kid." On the giving end, I feel I am encouraging irresponsibility each time I call middle-aged adults, "Kids." No, son/daughter, 50 is not the new 20.

Names/labels cost nothing, yet have so much power to make someone feel better or worse about themselves.

If it makes your children feel better...than I'm all for it.

If they don't like it, or if you're not sure if they like it (which may be a clue that they don't like it, but don't want to risk saying so), then don't use it.

The only way to find out if your sons will like it...is to ask.

(I'd hate to be called a kiddult. But this isn't about me, it's about your sons.)