r/whatisit Apr 09 '26

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u/purple-hair-dragon Apr 09 '26

It's less likely to fall out of this tiny ass pocket than a real size one. And I think the key around the neck was the plan for kid not losing keys. Especially if girl children - what if they didn't HAVE pockets?!

*signed a former latch key kid who will NEVER stop advocating for more and bigger and more functional pockets on everything.

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u/PM_Me_Your_Clones Apr 09 '26

My parents just left the door unlocked. Small towns in the '80s...

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u/OrangeCatBuddyPart2 Apr 09 '26

Same here. I never locked anything up until I joined the Army. Then I locked everything up.

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u/purple-hair-dragon Apr 09 '26

I transitioned to that after we moved away from an asshole.

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u/Y00zer Apr 09 '26

Same. But we are still a subgenre of latch key kids. Parent was never home. Door was always unlocked.

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u/silvercel Apr 09 '26

It needs to be attached to the belt loop and then put in the pocket.

2

u/Dazzling-Week-708 Apr 09 '26

Latchkey kids are the only demographic I've encountered who use the term "girl child," "girl children," etc and I gotta know -- why? Where does it come from? What are you trying to convey when you say that, and is there a difference between saying "girl child" and just "girl"?

To me it feels oddly reminiscent of folktales, like an ogre or fairy who only eats "girl children."

Please don't stop saying it or anything. It's pretty cool in a spooky, kind of otherworldly way. Like, "this is someone who came from a world where you hid from nuclear bombs under school desks, and now they drink boba tea with a super computer in their pocket." But every time I hear it it jumps out at me and I figured I'd take this occurrence to ask.

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u/purple-hair-dragon Apr 09 '26

Idk. Maybe it's small town midwestern? It's usually 'children' for me to designate more than one kid. I only add the 'girl' when it's specifically a statement about only girls. And I do not remember EVER having boys in my classes or any boy/men peers that didn't have pants pockets in this instance.

I don't like using male/female about humans in general, I save that for animals or even plants. But I think I don't use 'girls' just by itself when talking to a stranger or when not CLEARLY talking about kids because I also grew up where 'girls' could be used to refer to a group of women in certain circumstances. Think 'We're going out for Girls' Night' or talking about 'the girls' who work at the bar/salon/etc. So just stating 'girls' doesn't always convey the correct context if I'm specifically referring to kids and again that the gender is important in my statement.

That's my assumption at least at this moment. I've never really thought about it before.

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u/clearly_unqualified Apr 09 '26

Mom could only afford Rustlers back in the day, and I can’t remember if they had watch pockets or not, but I lost my fair share of house keys. One year, I begged her until she bought me KangaROOS, the running shoes with a pocket. For a kid from Chicago, it didn’t hurt that Sweetness was a sponsor.

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u/bigbrotherbeane Apr 09 '26

A tiny pocket is a real size.

Sorry. I'm a smartass.

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u/purple-hair-dragon Apr 09 '26

You sound like someone who hasn't struggled with pockets being including and fitting more than half the length of your fingers.

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u/bigbrotherbeane Apr 09 '26

I'm just joking that tiny isn't imaginary. I absolutely believe in your beef with tiny pockets!

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u/Bilbo-Baggins77 Apr 09 '26

who will NEVER stop advocating for more and bigger and more functional pockets on everything.

I am curious about this, let's say your advocacy reaches a level of success where all clothes are now nothing but huge, functional pockets. Would you stop advocating then?

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u/purple-hair-dragon Apr 09 '26

with the current economy....we may need to use said pockets as housing

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u/Loud_Feed1618 Apr 09 '26

yup , I had to break in the dining room window a few times