Wow! I never really thought that was a big deal. Both myself and my hubby call my two year old ”buddy”,but that doesn't mean we're going to take him out to the bar for a beer or anything. It's just a term of endearment for us,like ”sweetheart” or ”princess”.
Haven't read the whole thread yet but I finally had to chime in on this one.
It's not.

Some people just don't understand that others might use words they think of w/ one use for another such as those words as terms of endearment. It doesn't automatically mean that you think your children are your equal pals. People see the world as "they are" .
My pet peeve? People that bother themselves so much w/ what others are doing or wearing.

As long as it's not encoraching on your space and/or rights or the rights of others, let them wear their matching shirts or call their kids baby. What does it matter to you (generic you)?? I'm more worried about the guy who sat on my husband's arm on the escalator down form the People Mover.

No one was around, just is, and him. Um dude, back off! Or as a PP said, the people that jump in fornt of my stroller and stop so I have to stop on a dime or risk being "that person" that runs people over w/ strollers.

Quit cutting people off and you'll never get run over again. I've never been run over in almost 10 trips over almost 20 years and I've actually only had one person walk into my stroller when they weren't looking where they were going and I was stationary. Not sayin' it doesn't happen, but I think some people make themselves targets.
Stereotype much? Sorry, but it usually is the other way around. As we get older we tend to be way more patient of most things then younger people tend to be.
I'm with you there. The older I get, the less I give a rip.

THOUGH, it seems my non-children having friends do become more and more intolerant. Hmmm
