To really detest the term 'little man' for a baby/little boy

[Mimicat44]

It just seems that everyone is using this term now and it annoys me - they're not a little man, they're a baby or a little boy! Why impose any connotation of being a 'man' already on a tiny child, just let them be a child! I don't hear 'little woman' with reference to a baby girl so why the keenness to have it the other way round?! Is this some subconscious way of encouraging little boys to be 'manly' or stereotypically masculine or am I completely overreacting and it's just a cute term. I am prepared to accept that maybe I am Anyway, anyone else got any terms/sayings they find (potentially) unreasonably annoying?

Yanbu OP it makes me feel weird too, I think I agree it feels like part of trying to make them grow up too fast maybe? They are babies/children and should be allowed to be so. I also have random ridiculous pet names for DS, btw, so it's not that at all. Just referring to them as mini-men is odd

I just don't like 'little man' because it sounds creepy and weird (like an actual miniature man)

I agree - I picture a very small man in a suit. "Little boy" is lovely but using his actual name (or nickname) would be even better.

And I think a lot of people will disagree on this one, but I hate it when people still call their child "the baby" when he or she is no longer a baby. You're a baby until you're 1 - I can sort of understand people calling a 1-year-old who hasn't started walking yet a baby, because the word toddler doesn't quite seem to fit either, but it irritates me when people are still using "baby" for a 2 or 3 year old who can walk and talk.

I completely agree, OP. I hate the term "little man" ("lil man" and "lil dude" are even more nails-down-a-blackboard) and cringe every time someone uses it to/about my baby DS.

I don't even know why, I just really dislike it! I have all sorts of silly names for him myself so it's not a dislike of pet names in general. Glad to see I am not the only one!

It's on a par with "hubby", "hubs", "bubs" and "hun", all should be banned!

YANBU. Even worse, my SIL calls her son "little dude", since newborn age

See I don't notice 'dude' so much, it doesnt conjure up the image of a hairy bollock-scratching bloke as much as 'man' does (ie everything a cute baby/toddler isnt). But i guess like anything, if i lil man is used in everyday parlance you dont think of it like that.

I love my little men

YANBU. It is super naff. My beef with it is that grown ass women are "girls" til about the age of 85 but infant boys can be "men" from the start. Gross....

Here in Scotland it is wee man, or the wee boy.

YANBU. I hate the term little man, luckily my DH does too and we both cringe when we hear people say it to our little boy. It's little boy people. They are not men yet!!

God people get all dramatic about the weirdest things.

YABU.
I can't imagine that anyone using the term "little man" is thinking of an actual adult male shrunken to infant size, that inference, and the creepiness comes from you, not them.
It's just another term for a baby or small boy.
Others: poppet, pickle, chicken, sausage, munchkin.....

Seriously if this genuinely offends you you need a stick removed from your arse.

Thanks for posting more than once on this maybebaby, it's obviously a very important issue for you

I hate the term "little man" also, I don't think it has anything to do with little babies growing up, but I hate it. They aren't little men. That's men who are short!!

It is not the same as calling a child "monkey, pumpkin, sweet pea"

Calling a child a pickle also rages me.

Lol no rhyme or reason for it.

Little man, pickle NO

Other stuff- not so bad!!

It's a personal thing

"YANBU. It is super naff. My beef with it is that grown ass women are "girls" til about the age of 85 but infant boys can be "men" from the start. Gross...."

This^^ x 100. I'm nearly 50 and I'm still called a girl. My son has been called "little man" by well meaners since he was a baby.

Oh and that handshake thing that group leader men tend to do with boys but not with girls. Drives me bonkers.

So YANBU.

I just keep seeing more people commenting - bizarre that it would bother people this much!

The "sexy" thing is different, that's not ok.

""YANBU. It is super naff. My beef with it is that grown ass women are "girls" til about the age of 85 but infant boys can be "men" from the start. Gross...."

at Naff ... Are you my mum trying to be "Cool". "My beef" .

Sorry to derail thread but this really made me laugh.

Well I'm nearly 40 and I quite like being called a girl.

Gees we really are going to get to a point where saying "Hello" will be seen as offensive.

I don't think I have ever heard my OH call his little boy by his real name he has always always called him "little man" - when he's telling him off, when he's shouting for him if he is upstairs etc its always "little man" never by his real name!

Drives me crazy! none of my business though so I don't say anything but yep I am with you OP.

I call my DC little man and little lady, which is what they are!

YABU.

WanderingTrolley1 Unless you're a mother to two tiny adults, then no, that is not what they are. That's the whole point.

No. I can't say it annoys me at all.

YABU.

I've never liked it though not sure why. There's a really icky Christmas carol that goes 'we will serve you all we can, darling, darling, little man', which always used to nauseate me a little - maybe that's why.

Pickle, chicken, sweetpea.... all fine.