What is a feral child to you? I hate the expression.

[EachandEveryone]

It’s on T-shirts and birthday cards and posters. I’ve heard teachers saying it about their pupils, mums calling it to their children and, the other day my friends ? Adhd child on his birthday got wished on Facebook (where she shares everything about this kid) by her friends happy birthday you little weirdo. Three times feral was mentioned and twice weirdo,

am I being over sensitive about this or does mud stick. I just can’t stand it I thought it meant a child raised my wolves 😁

I think it’s quite accurate sometimes! Wild/undisciplined.

Yep this! ^ I know a few like this. One particular one close to where I live. Fucking annoying, loud, obnoxious child. It's a relief when they fuck off to school. Mother gives zero shits about how they makes a nuisance of themselves, and has zero time for them. Too busy going out with mates and spending time on her phone.

Not the kid's fault, but still, it's not up the neighbours to discipline said child - OR look after them/entertain them - as the mum CBA. (No idea who the dad is. I have never seen the dad there in the 2-ish years this neighbour has been there!)

It doesn't have to be viewed as a negative. It can be sort of affectionate too.

I'd describe my youngest (not so much now, but when she was younger) as feral as she had a wild streak and a carefree, not bound by conformities attitude/ approach to life. She still does to a certain degree and I'm a bit envious about it as I'm a rule obeyer and would rarely step out of line.

I think it makes her more adventurous and open to ideas.

One who never listens

If you look up feral child in the dictionary you will find a picture of my son.

“Feral” is a trendy social media word just now. Not just applied to children but to adults too! I wouldn’t take it too seriously.

I see Wild but not necessarily undisciplined/raised by wolves That seems to imply all feral kids are horrible.
Sounds like my sister and I as kids, we were left to our own devices, we roamed all weekends and summer holidays, did as we pleased, rode ponies all the time and did fine. Rarely if ever had adults with us. Doesn't mean they are horrible kids, just a bit wild.
We were polite and did well in school too.

Feral kids from the local high school = wild and menacing, cause trouble wherever they go and have no boundaries or discipline.

Small feral kids = loud, don’t listen and usually badly behaved

It doesn't have to be viewed as a negative. It can be sort of affectionate too.

Affectionate??!!!

Cambridge dictionary: 'existing in a wild state, especially describing an animal that was previously kept by people:
feral dogs/cats

No child, unless raised by animals in the wild, deserves to be called feral.

I've described DD as feral before but it's in a good way. At 11 she is totally comfortable in herself and completely unapologetic but not naughty or rude. She's totally "wild". Always upside down, needs to be outside, never happier than up to her knees in a puddle covered in mud.

I think feral implies a disregard for manners and behaviour towards others usually because of terrible parenting. A wild spirit is different and can come with charm and consideration for others.

I taught children described to me as having previously been feral. It meant they had been neglected to the point they weren't being fed and ate out of bins. They had to fend for themselves because no knew else did.
I assume people are being tongue in cheek when they refer to their own children or those they socialise with as feral. Otherwise they'd be on the phone to a social worker!

Yep! there's no way of dressing up calling a child 'feral,' as being affectionate!

'feral' has negative connotations. It is more than a naughty child that breaks the rules, but one that doesn't understand how to behave because they've never been properly disciplined. It's actually sad, when a child is called feral, it's usually because they have been left to their own devices too much. No structure or routine, no manners, don't understand sharing, whingy, loud, cause havoc wherever they go, attention seeking, sometimes destructive. It's not the child's fault at all but the result of neglect or bad parenting. I feel like these kids have been let down.
As PPs have said this can be contrasted with say a free spirit which has more positive connotations.

Everyone elses kids. Definitely not MN perfect children.

It seems to be a word used by parents who are kind of proud of that fact that they don’t give their children any boundaries which I find odd.

Not always behaviour-related!

My sister was a well-behaved toddler, but she was such a little scruffbag (wild hair, always had a dirty face, loved to get as messy as she could), we called her the feral kid because she looked like she’d been raised by wolves.

She’s 24 now and very elegant

I've only heard it used in a joking way to mean kid who runs around getting dirty, loud, does their own thing rather than listening,full of energy.

That’s really not what feral means

II've only seen it once where the word was used literally. I work with kids and 3 yr old twins joined us. One had a speech delay so they communicated non verbally. They made weird grunting noises and high pitched shrieks, they made low growling noises when irritated. They pulled and grabbed at each other a lot and disagreements would end with thumping each other or wrestling to the ground. If one was hurt or upset they would scream continously until the other ran away blocking ears. It was absolutely shocking. I've worked with many non verbal children and never seen anything like this. It was like watching wild animals. After about an hour of observing them my colleague said 'oh my gosh they are actually feral' and I agreed.

I think its very accurate. Kids that are like Mowgli - had no reasonable human guidance on how to behave.

I call mine feral in a loving way.

I used to say that my aim for my kids over the summer holidays was for them to become feral. I meant loud, energetic, a bit undisciplined, a bit grubby with hair that needed a good comb. Feral was good, it meant throwing off the shackles of the school year, late nights and loose routines.

I loved the school holidays with my boys, all of them and no matter how feral they got I cried at the end of them. It became a family joke.

If you are using the term literally I would say it meant a child who has not been taught how to behave and has been neglected. I do not include children who are struggling with behaviour because of SN or trauma.

However I have seen lots of children being described as feral or wild in an affectionate way when their children are running through the fields or beach with flowers in their hair that's not so tangly it's matted but not neat and tied back with bows and clips either. They mostly wear clothes that are clean on that day and without holes but a bit muddy, they pick up slugs etc and they are always climbing things or rolling down hills. A bit like some of the children in Enid blyton books.

Personally i don't really like it because of the association with being an animal. I know lots of people use it in a blasé humorous way and i would never say anything as I get their meaning but I wouldn't use it myself.