Again the question is not related to the English words used for offspring.
I use the term kids to mean “offspring,” as in “my kids will be home for spring break.” I don’t mean anything derogatory or disrespectful by it.
I remember watching “Three’s Company” when I was about 6 and being so confused why Mrs. Roper referred to Jack, Chrissy, and Janet as “the kids upstairs.” They weren’t kids! They were clearly grownups with jobs and an apartment. It didn’t make any sense.
Now, of course, I see where Mrs. Roper was coming from. All of my students are my kids. That was true even when I was 35 and working at a law school where my students were only about 10 years younger.
Occasionally I’d have a law student or applicantwho was older than me. I make an exception in that case.
I affectionately call some of the people who work for me “kids” sometimes. They are less than 30, and don’t seem to mind. Of course they know I think they are wonderful, and treat them with respect, or it might be a problem.
When will I stop calling kids kids? After taking my last breath. 
My grandpa died last summer at 100. My Mom and Uncle were still “the kids”. My Mom refers to my sibs and I (ages 49 - 60) as “you kids”…
Goskids are 27 and 25…Yup, they’re adults…but when I think of them, I think --my babies. When I refer to them, I say “the kids”…may take a long. long time for me to break this habit…
I also still call my own “kids”, and even when their friends are all over…workers that they are now. “Hey, what have you kids been up to?” No one takes offense.
@gosmom …you don’t have to break that habit. I think as long as it’s a term of endearment between all parties, then it’s fine.
I’m sorry @soontobecolleger, trying to get CC parents to stick to the question is as impossible as herding cats.
I think it is part of the extended adolescence that is much acknowledged now, with people taking until their mid twenties or even thirties before becoming adult. It is not so much that other adults refer to them as kids, it is that they refer to themselves as kids. I had a niece graduating at 30 from a top MBA program who referred to herself and her classmates as kids recently. I would never have called my law school classmates kids at age 22-24, nor did they consider themselves such. Seems like today one can go right from kid to almost middle aged.
Of course it’s related to the word for offspring! That is precisely why people use “kids” to describe people who are clearly adults. We are calling the generation below ours kids because that is what they are to us. It is entirely relational. This is the use that makes it merely descriptive (I know exactly who you mean when you ask how the kids are doing) and not condescending.
By contrast, calling an older person “sweetie” or whatever, has nothing to do with one’s relationship to that person and thus can be considered condescending or patronizing. For my part, though, I really don’t care what you call me as long as your intentions are kind.
I don’t think it is necessarily relational at all these days, particularly given the self reference to themselves and their peers as kids (when clearly they are not). At least once they become parents themselves they seem to stop calling themselves kids. Would you refer to a married mother of 2 aged 30 as a kid in any context? I would not, though I am of a prior generation.
When the kids have their own kids, they cease to be kids.
Terms of affection and endearment often are not subject to rational boundaries. Us old folks at a job where I work with a large cohort of 20 somethings, sometimes refer to the “kids”. We respect them, enjoy them, but also like to discuss generational differences, which is why we might refer to them collectively as “kids”.
My mom, in her '90s used to talk about “college boys” and make me cringe, even in 1968 as it seemed disrespectful, though was not perhaps not when she came of age in the 1940s. Language evolves.
Age related I would guess. It changes as we age and younger adults seem so young. It always irritated me when my father referred to women as girls. The sexism of his generation. Kids is the casual usage instead of children- it doesn’t mater how old or their parental status they are forever kids relative to the older generation. I know my sense of maturity keeps advancing in age the older I get. I was so grown up when I was that age compared to my old age view now.
At my mother in laws Retirement community the under-80 years olds club is called “The Babies”
OP, to their face as in “hey kid” or when referring to them? To their face I wouldn’t do it after HS - I use it sometimes in Sunday school to get everyone’s attention sometimes - more often it’s a loud “y’all” (here in the south) or “guys”. My Ds are both adults, most likely referred to as kids in context of family discussion to refer to younger generation. For instance when planning Christmas for H’s sibs, we all were asked when our kids were available (ages 24-35). Kind of short hand for young people.
This is something I’ve been sensitive to as my mother and grandmother used the term to assert their on-going authority over the family even after the offspring were long grown with responsible professions and their own households.
A good friend of mine continually refers to her sons, ages 35 and 43, one with spouse, as “the boys”. She clearly means no disrespect. I would bow to context in using or hearing the term.
@scmom12 i meant when referring to young people in general. For example I saw a post on here where a parent said something like “my daughter was happy to be in a suite so she wouldn’t have to run down the hall to throw up in front of other kids”.
In my mind, the following versions of “kid” have 2 different meanings:
- I have 3 kids; how are the (your) kids doing?; Does she have any kids? Etc
- College kids usually have roommates; those kids are really mean/nice; he’s just a kid still
The first context does not imply any particular age or maturity level, and the second does. I was referring to the second context, but I guess a lot of people don’t see the same distinction I do, which makes the question kinda hard to answer.
On CC, I sometimes use the terms applicant or candidate, or refer to “my daughters” or “my girls,” but use “kids” so often I actually wonder when someone will snag me. (I did once get a mean look on CC for referring to all-female colleges as “girls’ schools.” Ironically, I went to one and many of us call them that, at times. No big deal, no PC.)
So, apologies, OP. But I’ll continue. It’s just a familiar term.
In real life, what’s my line? Dunno. It’s all relative- to the responsibilities those young 'uns carry, their maturity, and the age disparities.