To call my child this?

[Ayemama]

Sometimes when my DC have been naughty or especially cheeky I call them a little poop because that's how they are behaving.
It's always said gently almost like a pet name for their naughty side.
I never thought anything of it and it's always light hearted never shouted or said harshly.
They are both toddlers and I've never seen it as a massively negative thing.
However today one DC was having a complete meltdown and tantrum as she was tired and hot and had been stopped doing something potentially dangerous and I cuddled her and asked her to stop being a little poop and she did calm down.
When I had succeeded in calming my DC and had let her go back to playing another mother that I hardly know came over and rather harshly informed that she had over heard me and started having a right go at me for being horrible to my children. Apparently calling my child this makes me a bad mum...?
So am I being unreasonable to call my child a little poop on the odd occasion or was this mother being overly harsh?
I'm not overly fussed either way just a bit curious.

Children need to know when their behaviour isn't good enough and this is a simple, harmless way of letting them know.
1stMonkey

But what does it teach them?

It teaches them that name calling is ok.

It does not teach them that poor behaviour has an impact on others.

You are letting a teaching moment pass by if this is all you respond with. It's important to teach children what they have done if their behaviour is inconsiderate, and what that means.

You don't teach empathy by calling someone names. You do it by pointing out that another child is crying because your child took their toy or knocked them over.

She's a busy body. Tell her to worry about her own kids. Ridiculous.

It's the kind of thing that might bite you when your child goes to school and says it to another child. It's not really appropriate.

@mathanxiety she wouldn't because she can differentiate between something said in jest or malice.
She's been in a childcare setting since the age of 2 and has never called any child a name.

Naldorian are you saying that adults can or should behave like children?

Why not? There are times for modelling behaviour and other times to act like children and have a laugh. I wish my mother had been less serious and 'mature'.

We all parent differently

People comparing it to calling your DD excrement are hilarious. I call my DS sausage sometimes and I don’t mean he’s a tube of dead pig. It’s just a silly nickname to use.

Pretendapony

It's no different to saying cheeky monkey/little pickle. Honestly the pearl clutching is hilarious!

I think it's the sort of lighthearted behaviour that's actually quite important between a parent and their child. My mother was so serious about EVERYTHING. Literally everything and I suddenly turn robotic and monotone when I'm around her. I couldn't have a laugh with her if I tried.

DH and MIL on the other hand are forever taking the piss out of each other lightheartedly, inc gentle name calling and they have a wonderful relationship.

I know how I'd rather be with my dc.....

How can you be sure of that MissPolly?

When you use the term 'tramp' to tell your DD that she is in a condition that needs to be rectified, then you are implicitly telling her that that condition in other people is unacceptable.

It's also promoting use of a word that has an explicitly sexual meaning in hip hop culture, similar to slut.

I'm always calling my dc little names! Poop face, butt head, Lord of the farts, list goes on. They think its hilarious and call me names back. We're a close family. Why is everything apparently so OFFENSIVE these days, give it another 10 years and people will be afraid to say anything

I call my three year old a poo head. I don't give a toss if anyone thinks it's offensive. My three year old finds it funny. And sometimes he is a poo head.

I call my three year old a poo head. I don't give a toss if anyone thinks it's offensive. My three year old finds it funny. And sometimes he is a poo head

Me too!!

Jesus people need to fucking unclench.

My mother used to call me a little witch and a little bitch when I was little (I was a really docile, well-behaved child) and it hurt. I'll never forget it. But she said it with such disdain.
I think 'Little Poop' is almost playful, and it does depend on how it is delivered.

I call my son a little shit sometimes, it's just play and he likes it.
I also call him baby, my love, darling, beautiful, toad, ratbag, cowbag and other things. No harm done we're just having a laugh.
I do swear quite a lot and shit is at the lower end of the spectrum so doesn't seem offensive to me.

I don't like telling a child they "are" something in association with negative behaviour.

I prefer to tell children that behaviour is unacceptable that that they are.

So I would never say a small child is being a little poop. I might say they are behaving like a little poop. It's a subtle but important difference.

I do call my DD a 'ploop' but as a term of affection, not in relation to bad behaviour.

Excellent post, Abstractedobstructed.

The perfect parent brigade are out in force here.

OP I’ve called my kids far worse than ‘little poop’ in fact I call DP poop and he calls me it as a term of endearment. I think there’s nothing wrong with it at all and the other mum wants to get the pole out from up her arse!

I’ve heard parent yell terrible things at their kids, really nasty names. Little poop said in a light hearted way I just fine.

I don't like it and I wouldn't call my kids anything like that.

I yelled at my GC, three, across the park yesterday that he was being a little bugger and I was gonna come and eat him up. (He wasn't coming when summoned) I then chased him round the playground and pretended to gnaw on his thigh when I caught him.
Nobody batted an eyelid.
And why should they?
He was seeing how far he could go with grandma and willing me to do a big dramatic chase and he WAS being a little bugger.
A lot of things you say very much depend on the tone and intent I think.
He also gets little horror, stinker, gorgeous dude, handsome boy, cheeky chops, honeychild, chunks and argumentative little whelp.
It's a wonder he knows his given name but he's not bothered one iota.

I call my DS ‘pest’ when he’s having a moment, as long as it’s said affectionately I don’t have a problem with it.

"Burger" is the nickname of choice here. "Stop acting like a burger!". Usually deployed to try and lighten the situation if DD is becoming a bit moody, it often gets her to crack a smile and we can take it from there. If I don't get a smile, I know it's more serious and change tactics.

God, I call my DD a little gremlin, snotface, hobgoblin and my tiny dictator. If I'm lifting her up I call her a hefty girl, chubba-chubbs or tell her she is of solid peasant stock.

I better get DH to call social services. I'm clearly not fit to be a mum.