children

children are neither "little angels" nor "little devils"; name them in publications only when doing so will not harm them; let them speak for themselves when possible; although they are dependents of adults, they are not appendages or possessions. An "infant" is newborn up to approximately age 1; a "toddler" is usually ages 1 and 2 (when learning to crawl and walk); a "preschooler" is ages 2 to 5; "youngster" is appropriate from preschool to about 12; a "very young child" might be 3 to 6; "adolescent," "teenager," and "youth" include ages 13 to 20; "young adult" is sometimes used for older adolescents. See also adolescent, ageism, teen/teenager, youth.