Don't call me Honey

You came to me one day after shopping and asked - "Why do people call me honey? I am not honey and I don't make honey like bees. Can you please ask them to stop calling me honey?"

It is true, strangers esp in farmers market and grocery store call my daughter as honey or sweetie. I know she is super cute and it may be common to call young kids these names. I have also noticed that no one calls  a toddler boy or a man honey, sweetie no matter how cute they are or young they are.

I love pet names and have many, but pet names are for people who know you. My mother or my friend can call my daughter or me in whatever endearing way she wants, however long she wants. But if you don't know us and just want to be nice, give us a big smile and say hi, don't call us honey.

Even a 2 year old finds this to be annoying, not to mention how a middle aged woman feels when her coworker calls her that! There are many ways to be nice and kind to strangers, calling someone honey or sweetie is not one of them.

Dear Bobo, In life whenever anyone calls you things you don’t like, look them in the eye and say that you don't like to be called that way. Based on my experience, this name calling is only going to increase from here, so it's good to practice and stand up now when you are 2 to the strangers and just look them in the eye and say- “Don't call me Honey”.