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Parents of adult children

Wondering how to stop worrying about your grown child? Speak to others in our Parents of Adult Children forum.

Original poster

Is there a single word for 'adult child'?

29 replies

BlingOn · 01/02/2020 21:54

If your children are over 18 is there a single word you can use to describe them? 'Adult children' sounds clumsy and is surely an oxymoron. I feel like there must be a word for them but can't think what it is.

OP posts:
Original poster
BlingOn · 02/02/2020 19:50

Anyone? Grin

OP posts:
magimedi · 02/02/2020 22:20

My son or My daughter. Solved!

Catrescue1971 · 02/02/2020 22:28

Yes, also say 'my son / daughter'.

kiaorasvetlana · 02/02/2020 22:44

Son or daughter

YourVagesty · 02/02/2020 22:46

'Man'

Cohle · 02/02/2020 22:47

Son or daughter. I think it usually becomes pretty clear from context that they're older.

elQuintoConyo · 02/02/2020 22:49

He'll always be My Baby Grin

Haffdonga · 02/02/2020 22:53

So how do you answer the question do you have any children?

Yes, an adult son and adult daughter.
Yes, a man and a woman.
Or
No, I have two adults.

Cornishclio · 02/02/2020 22:56

If I was asked if I had children I would just say I had 2 grown up daughters.

Lalala205 · 02/02/2020 22:57

I still say 'the bairn'... They're 22 😂

SoMuchToBits · 02/02/2020 22:57

I have a 19 year old son.

ooooohbetty · 02/02/2020 22:59

Grown up children.

HighNetGirth · 02/02/2020 22:59

Offspring
Fruit of my womb
My tribe

Original poster
BlingOn · 02/02/2020 23:39

As Haffdonga says, I was thinking of this in terms of being asked 'Do you have any children?'
Maybe there isn't a single word in the English language for 'adult children'. I wonder if any other languages have one.

OP posts:
HighNetGirth · 02/02/2020 23:46

The legal term is “issue” as in, the issue of the marriage. Sadly, nowadays asking if people have any issue is unlikely to go down well!

GreenTulips · 02/02/2020 23:48

Ask your parents what they call you!

DramaAlpaca · 02/02/2020 23:51

If I'm asked if I have children, I say 'yes, I have three sons, grown up now'.

SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 03/02/2020 00:02

Loinfruit

DecemberSnow · 03/02/2020 00:07

Son. Daughter.
Grown up children

DecemberSnow · 03/02/2020 00:09

Offspring?

OhWellThatsJustGreat · 03/02/2020 00:10

@HighNetGirth is that really true? I think it's brilliant!!
I'm going to ask my parents to refer to my DB as their issue going forward 😂 obviously not me as I'm the favourite offspring (imo)

Original poster
BlingOn · 03/02/2020 08:16

Some great responses and good alternatives for child or children but there doesn't seem to be a single word that means adult child.

English is the language with the largest vocabulary but still no word for this.

OP posts:
schnubbins · 03/02/2020 08:17

Young Adults?

Reginabambina · 03/02/2020 08:21

Progeny doesn’t have the childhood connotation so much, maybe use that?

Reginabambina · 03/02/2020 08:23

For instance, ‘Yes, I have some progeny’ makes you sound so old, no one would ever make the mistake of thinking that the progeny in question is still in childhood.