The Niblings Call It Quits on #LGBTQFamiliesDay 2023 — Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

For as long as I’ve had this blog, I’ve written about my niblings — a gender neutral term to describe the children of our siblings, often referenced as nieces and nephews. We have six, ranging in age from 11 to 17. Two live in Philadelphia, four here in Pittsburgh.

A few months ago, the youngest nibling told me in no uncertain terms that he does not like being called or described or referenced as a nibling. It sounds like corn, according to him. The three other local nibs had previously shared similar sentiments, but I clung to his sweet young self as my last hold-out. He indulges me on so many things.

I actually think nibling is a weird word. But it works. It is gender neutral, easy to spell, and gets people to stop and think about all these issues at one time. They act excited to learn a new way to describe our existing reality. What’s not to love?

But I’m here to support them, not my Facebook friends. And the consensus is that nibling term has got to go. I have given zero thought to how I will make this change. But I’m gonna try. I wonder if I can get away with “the kiddos?” “the used-to-be-littles?”

They are growing up. The 11 year old is as tall as me. I’m a little nostalgic for their younger days, but I am more excited to see how they rock the adulting that lies ahead. They have never ceased to amaze me. I don’t want to slow them down or roll back time or anything sappy like that…