Size vs age description?
Posted by Helpful-Structure955@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 70 comments
Hi guys. So something Ive noticed on recent podcasts/social media, I listen to and wanted to ask of this was a typical way in which people from the States describe kids. Its such a minor thing but I just want to ask.
If you are describing a person with kids who are like preschool age or younger, do you say " the couple has 3 small children" for example, or "the couple has 3 young children"? I notice that often the size of the child is mentioned to indicate they are young vs the age. Like Id never say 'small' when I meant 'young'.
Technically a young child may not actually be small. When someone describes them as small, I immediately wonder if they mean they child is smaller than average.
Apologies if this doesn't make sense.
TeamTurnus@reddit
Yah we call them little or small kids to mean young. Unsurprisingly, its because theres a strong correlation between being a younger child and being smaller.
schmatteganai@reddit
"adult children" or "my/their/her/his kids are grown up now" are common, though
Great_Chipmunk4357@reddit
Do you know any languages other than English? I am a retired university professor of foreign languages. The use of small/young for younger children and bigger/older for older children occurs in Spanish (520 million native speakers) and French (325 million native speakers). Somehow all those people and 380 million Americans and Canadians don’t seem to be on the verge of some kind of cataclysm because of that practice.
kierabs@reddit
“Little kids” and “big kids” is very common.
nis_sound@reddit
Yes! OP's post had me going. I was like, "I don't think I've ever said "they have 3 small kids." But 3 little kids? Daily usage.
InternistNotAnIntern@reddit
We say "small children" pretty commonly in my plains state
Stan_Deviant@reddit
I refer to both my nieces as "the smalls" now. They are all under 12 but getting dangerously close to my height.
When they were infants we called them "the human larvae" though, so I'm not sure we should be explaining kinder classification to international visitors.
Weird_Squirrel_8382@reddit
I used to call mine the short people but now we're all the same height.
kilofeet@reddit
"medium kids" however is for sociopaths
Traditional_Trust418@reddit
My family mostly used "younger kids" and "older kids" to distinguish between the "two groups". There were a lot of us, though.
We really only used "big kid" to describe a baby who has learned a new milestone like, "Wow, you're a big kid now! Look at you walking!" Idk if that's common
tsukiii@reddit
“Small children” means like babies/toddlers/early school age. Small in both size and in age.
Squirrel179@reddit
I'd use "small children" to refer to any kids at home that can't be left unattended. "Small children" denotes a level of dependence in my mind. They are the ones that have to come with you to run an errand and can't be trusted on their own. Having "small children" is a reference to home obligations in many cases, e.g. "Lucy has had a hard time finding work that fits her schedule with small children at home." Or, "Linus hasn't had much time to golf lately; he has small children." "Young children" operates the same way.
CharlesAvlnchGreen@reddit
Yes, dependence and also work. Kids too young to make their own meals, dress themselves properly, do any real chores around the house.
Altruistic_Error_832@reddit
In my experience people use "little" more so than they use "small" in this context. The term "little kids" or even just "littles" is pretty a pretty common way to refer to kids children that are like toddler to pre-school age.
jayne-eerie@reddit
I feel like there’s a formality difference, kind of? I’d probably say “They have three little kids” to in everyday speech and upgrade to “They have three small children” if I was writing a formal document. “Three little children” or “Three small kids” just sound slightly off.
CharlesAvlnchGreen@reddit
"Three small children" sounds perfectly normal to me, to describe kids under age 7 or so. Perhaps slightly formal, but I'd use it.
are absolutely right in that "small kids" and "little children" sound off.
You
fook75@reddit
As long as you don't describe them all in months, we are good.
"HI, my name is Susan and my children are John who is 111 months old, Erica who is 79 months old, and my Labradoodle Pierre who just got a gold star in obedience class after 7 tries!!"
Accomplished_Mix7827@reddit
"Little" or "small" indicates young enough to still be tiny, like five or under, although it can also be used as a diminutive (e.g. my younger brother is still my "little" brother, despite being in his late twenties)
"Young" usually conjures to mind more like elementary school aged, like 5-10.
"Older" or "big" kid usually means at least 8, up to 12.
"Tweens" are preteens and early teens, 12 (maybe pushing as early as 10) to 14 or so.
"Teenagers" and high schoolers are pretty synonymous, 14 to 18.
Young adult means late teens to early 20s, roughly 18-25. Unless it's a book, in which case it weirdly means books for teenagers (no idea why).
Mature adult is late 20's through 40 or so, middle-aged is 40 to mid-60s, "seniors"/ the old/ the elderly generally means 65+ (although senior can also refer to the last year of high school or college; which is meant is generally easy to parse based on context)
Bluemonogi@reddit
I would probably say young but would understand small.
bugga2024@reddit
So personally, I say small kids when they're like under school age, young kids when they're elementary age, big kids when they're end of elementary into middle school, and teens when they're end of middle into high school.
MrTeeWrecks@reddit
Either. But technically, all children are ‘young’
la-anah@reddit
How so? My mother refers to me as her child and I am middle aged. Every human in the planet is someone's child, no matter how old they are.
earmares@reddit
Under 18 = child
Older than 18, I would say son or daughter, but not child.
la-anah@reddit
"My sister had three children and two grandchildren" is a completely normal thing that people say. You do not stop being your parent's child when you turn 19.
Fwahm@reddit
You're arguing past each other by using different definitions. Child can both mean
1: A young person especially between infancy and puberty
or
2: A son or daughter of human parents
earmares@reddit
I don't call my 20 yo daughter my child anymore. I call her my daughter. She's a young adult. Nor do I call my 18 yo son a child. He's also a young adult.
Weird_Squirrel_8382@reddit
I don't really say small but I'll say little to mean any kid under 10 or so. Little kids, big kids, teenagers... Then I aggravate my young adults by calling them baby adults.
ketamineburner@reddit
Yes, young children are usually small.
If a young child is not also small, that would be an unusual situation and worthy of its own explanation.
Secure-Ad9780@reddit
Small and young kids or children are used interchangeably. Sometimes we say 3 little ones.
WhompTrucker@reddit
I might use small or toddler for 5 and under, kid for 6-10, tween 10-12, teen 13-17. 18+ young adult.
PlanMagnet38@reddit
Bluey’s Nana refers to them as “the littlies” so there’s at least some global similarities to how folks in the US use small/little to mean young.
SnooPineapples280@reddit
I’d say “little” instead of small, but if you said “small kids” I wouldn’t think “that was a weird way to describe them” or anything like that. If you did say small, I’d think maybe under 7. Young kids can be anything under 10 for me I guess. I’d say “elementary school aged” instead of primary and “big kids” or teens, not secondary. 19 & above I’d say “adult kids”.
Machinebuzz@reddit
I would say "That couple has three little brats."
Background_Humor5838@reddit
I think ankle biters is more accurate
No_Plankton2501@reddit
US kids clothing sizes are babies, toddlers, little kids, big kids.
I’m more inclined to say I have 2 little kids instead of small or young. Little kids clothing is about ages 4-6 and that’s about how I would use the term in everyday language. If they weee younger I would probably say toddler. If they’re older, I’d probably say “elementary age kid”, “middle schooler” or “teenager/high schooler”
But i wouldn’t think twice if someone said “I have small kids at home”.
penguin_0618@reddit
It is extremely common to describe young children as small children. Also “little kids” or just “little”
BoxedWineBonnie@reddit
I think "littles" is relatively new. Because (a) I hate it (b) I didn't used to hate it because I never heard anyone say that.
penguin_0618@reddit
It’s common in childcare/teaching spaces
machagogo@reddit
Young children are almost always small in stature as well...
toyheartattack@reddit
While you’re correct, it’s still a matter of common usage. My kid was very big for his age and we still said “small child” to refer to his age.
machagogo@reddit
I'm going to go out on a limb and say he was still small compared to a teenager... certainly his teenaged self.
WarrenMulaney@reddit
Pffft my 5 year old is 6’3” and 200lbs of pure American muscle.
LAWriter2020@reddit
I think they are referring to chronological age, not emotional age. My wife might refer to me as her 5 year old as well, but that is decades away from my chronological age.
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
I might refer to kids as pre-schoolers. I know a man who postscompliments to his "kids" about their accomplishments on line. If you did not know you would think they might be 12 year old and be impressed. When I know they are 30 to 50 years old ???
Traditional_Trust418@reddit
You can use either one. They could have children who are small but not young or young but not small as well. Lol
It's not really something we think about. You can also just say, "They have three children" if their ages and sizes aren't relevant. If the person you're talking to wants to know more info (like how old the children are) they can ask
Warlordnipple@reddit
All children are young, small usually means 7-8 or younger. 9+ is still young but not small.
Responsible_Side8131@reddit
Three small children means they are young. It’s not about their size
cheekmo_52@reddit
Technically, a preschool aged child is both small and young, so either descriptor is accurate and acceptable. Personally I use both interchangeably. People understand regardless of which adjective you choose between the two.
garublador@reddit
You say a young child isn't necessarily small, but I have yet to see a 6'4" 3 year old.
djm7780amm@reddit
Wilt chamberlain was over 5 ft in kindergarten
WhatveIdone2dsrvthis@reddit
As you've seen in the comments, they use small in the US to mean young. We also use "close" where others might use "near".
PersonalBrowser@reddit
Small typically means small in number
Khpatton@reddit
No one says they have “small children” to mean they have a small number of children.
Hexakkord@reddit
No, definitely not in the context the OP gave.
TheCloudForest@reddit
"Small children" are like babies and toddlers, maybe up to age 7 or 8 (pushing it). "Young kids" could frankly be up to age 25-30 in context, depending on who's talking.
gothiclg@reddit
I’d usually say “they have 3 kids between (youngest child’s age) and (oldest child’s age)”
Neenknits@reddit
We would not likely say “primary” age, but we might use “elementary” or “school age” for 6-11ish. Middle school or high school for 11-13. 14-18 HS. Or teens.
Small or little means toddler though 6ish. Maybe infants, too. Young means birth through maybe 9ish. Big means middle or hs. They don’t necessarily mean exactly the same thing. But they might.
It all varies by context.
No-Resource-8125@reddit
Small to medium is pre kindergarten. Young would be pre middle school.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
I'd say young children or little kids. Small children sounds off somehow.
schmatteganai@reddit
if someone has "3 small children" I think they're saying that all of the children in question are younger than 6 years old
If they say young, I think that all of them are younger than 16, and at least one of them is under 13, but they could also all be under 6
Young teenagers is 13-15
If they're all over 14, I would be surprised if someone called them "young children;" "kids in high school," "teenage children," "teenagers" or a specific descriptor for how old they are or something they haven't done or can't do (i.e. "without drivers licenses," "who can't stay home alone," "without work permits" etc) would be more common
ChanFry@reddit
Either works. It might depend on context. If the amusement park ride has a height requirement, then size matters (not age). If enrolling for a community soccer league, then age matters (not size).
But if you're just describing a family in general, either works and basically means the same thing. (If specificity matters, you'll say "they range from three to eight" or something.)
Least_Bat1259@reddit
I say their kids. Because it can be from the age of 0-17
Electrical_Stage_610@reddit
Personally, I always think “small child” means a toddler through age 3 or 4ish, whereas a “young child” means toddler through maybe 8 or 9. But they’re basically used interchangeably - “young” is a bit more proper/formal than “small”.
ljculver64@reddit
Both are pretty much said equally I would imagine. We also might say....they have little ones at home.
dystopiadattopia@reddit
When I hear "small children" I think older than toddlers but not old enough for kindergarten.
"Young children" to me can range from 3 through elementary school.
Younger than small children are toddlers, and before that, babies.
rockandroller@reddit
Yes we generally mean young instead of small in this usage. It has more of an emotional meaning. Like someone dies and leaves behind “small” children you picture them as more vulnerable and in need of protection. A kid can be physically bigger and still be vulnerable and in need of protection, so it’s an emotional term not a technical descriptor.
IMakeOkVideosOk@reddit
Unless the kid is 6 feet tall they are gonna be small…
ThisMomIsAMother@reddit
I usually say small but have used young also.
AlphaNeutrino1@reddit
Small little young
nostrademons@reddit
Either one.