I know there are regional variations in the use of honey with non-family members. I happen to live out west, where it's rare. I lived in the South for a few years, way back when, and it seemed to be common.
What do you think of it? I have a younger, bossy co-worker whom I'm going to request that she stop calling me 'hon'. Am I being petty? I find it irritating to have a woman who is younger than some of my children call me 'hon'. I don't mind it from sweet people who are my age or older, from this gal it is part of a general pattern of disrespect that I get from her. She is NOT from the South, by the way.
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
Anyone younger calling anyone older kiddo is ridiculous, but then again, I agree with madwife that in the grand scheme of things it is not that big of a deal. Way worse does happen.
I would rather that than be called "ma'am" Ughh that one sends shivers down my spine.
When I was working in LTC facility, I once answered a resident, "sir." He immediately chewed me out how much he dislikes such terms, and that he has a perfectly good name (first name) to be called. I proceeded to explain my upbringing that emphasized respect for elders and my military training that instilled the habit of answering "sir" or "ma'am." It infuriated him even more and held me up for a long lecture on his anti-military, anti-hierarchy philosophy... Oh well... He did help me getting used to calling older people by their first name -- it is unthinkable where I grew up...
It's so easy to perceive casual friendliness as disrespect, and trying to be polite as being obsequious.
It is certainly true that the use/perception of terms like this varies considerably from region to region. In my region, the informality underlying it is associated with a particular socio-economic class.
I find it irritating too, especially as I get older. The 19-year old bagging my groceries says, "here you go, hon ..." Really now.
I haven't seen a grocery bagger in so long that I'd happily put up with being called hon just to have somebody else bag my groceries for me! At work though ...being called honey or sweetie by patients is no problem, from co-workers no way!
We have a couple of young nurses who call all their older pts "Mamma" and "Papa"
i hate it.
there was a conversation going on once that Mrs Brown didn't like George taking care of her because she said he disrespected here. The younger nurses were saying that they couldn't understand this because George is such a friendly guy. So I asked, did he call her Mrs Brown or Mamma? Because if some person that I did not give birth to came in and called me Mamma I would send them out of the room and never let them back in.
LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN
8,429 Posts
True, but calling a 90 year old "kiddo" is just, not good taste.