We all have pet names for our kids.
But when do the pet names go too far?
One mum is asking if she’s being unreasonable after a woman called her a ‘bad mum’ for saying to her child that she was a “little poop.”
The mother took to Mumsnet to ask users if the woman was being “overly harsh.” She said:
“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. 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?”
There were a lot of mixed reactions to the post, with some saying that she shouldn’t be calling her child that. One said:
“I’d be thinking of another expression, it’s unpleasant and should your child repeat this at nursery it will not go down well.”
While another wrote:
“I would stop doing that tbh it will sound to many as if you are calling your child a little shit. There are plenty of less controversial or frankly less gross terms of endearment.”
However, others agreed with the mum and said that the other woman was being way too harsh.
“I see nothing at all wrong with little poop! I hear parents saying far worse to their kids… I usually say ‘you little wally’ or ‘you silly sausage’ but at times I’ve called them cheeky sods. It’s always with a laugh and a cuddle, never with anger or irritation.
“And f*ck people coming over to criticise your parenting in public.”
