What is a snowflake?

[disneyjunkie]

Generally I think it is used to describe a kid who is so super-speshul and fragile (like a delicate snowflake) who must be hoisted up on a pedestal and sheltered from all negativity, lest said snowflake melt away. Usually owned by a helicopter-parent.[/QU You really nailed it.

 

[Megan_J]

I think the term perfectly fits at times and I will continue to use it.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I've heard it around here (southern NJ). It seems to often be the case that those who most dislike the term are the ones who tend to have one, lol.[/QU I have a little game I like to play. I call it Find The Snowflake. When someone post their dislike for the term, sometimes I will take a look at their old posts. 9 times out 10, the posts show that they have a little Snowy.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I hate the term (helicopter parent doesn't bother me as much, though I think it's way overused and often inaccurate). I also dislike brat, baby (when used derisively), etc. I just think behavior usually has more depth than the term implies.

You can say I have "snowflakes," but according to the definitions given in this thread, I don't. I do have a son who is 8 and might appear to be a "snowflake" to some of you, but he has issues that require us to parent him differently than we did our older son without these issues.

 

[RitaE]

Along with helicopter - they both give me a They are both words beloved by a group of DISers who have taken it upon themselves to prove that most children are much too fragile, and parents are much too overprotective.

I'll disagree that both terms are widely used elsewhere. I read a million periodicals, journals and articles, and never heard the terms until I saw them being used on here. I did a search, and could not find those terms 'widely' used at all. Did find mention of them in a few parenting or psychology articles, but not that exact wording. Asked my teaching colleagues, and checked many of my Spec. Ed readings, and nothing there either.

Tiger

I just Googled "Helicopter Parent" and one of the first results is the Time Magazine article discussing the evolution of Over-parenting. It has a picture of a Mom wrapping her son in bubble wrap.

I hear "Helicopter Parent" frequently from those involved in Higher Education. Mostly in discussions on how many of today's older teens might be "knowledge advanced" but they are solely lacking in independence skills, initiative, and self-reliance.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I've heard it around here (southern NJ). It seems to often be the case that those who most dislike the term are the ones who tend to have one, lol.

MTE!

It's not a new term, nor is it a "regional" term.

 

[goofy!]

Oh I totally agree with you (both on not minding snowflake or helicopter parent as phrases and on not liking "going all mama bear").

Both terms have been around a while (helicopter parent for a really long while) and both are used well beyond just the DIS. I am always surprised when I see people post here that they have not heard the terms elsewhere.

My son's University has labeled some of the incoming freshman as "teacups", so fragile they would break if not handled carefully. A teacup is the grown-up snowflake.

These are the young adults whose parents (ultimate helicopter parents), usually the mommies, who still are involved in every aspect of the child's life. The mommy will call the professor when the teacup is struggling. They set up meetings with professors to discuss how teacup cannot possibly attend the 8am class because he/she needs her sleep, that the workload is too severe and Teacup needs to have some concessions and they have even attended work/study interviews with their teacup.

It is amazing how some freshman are so incapable of even talking a professor themselves about an issue without Mommy standing next to them. They are adults, for goodness sakes.

 

[Carly_Roach]

From the Urban Dictionary:

2. special snowflake

A member of that newly-adult, me'er-than-me generation which expects attention and praise just for being themselves -- doing anything to deserve it is completely optional.

3. special snowflake

A problem person. A person who thinks they are unique, different and therefore more special that everyone else. Derived from too many parents telling their kids they are "special," like a "snowflake."

Snowflake children typically grow up to be teacups: easily chipped, cracked or broken. Unable to handle the hot coffee that makes life worth living.

The phrase that irritates me beyond all measure is "going Mama bear."

Me, too. Having a tantrum and chewing out someone else, then trying to justify it by saying you were "going all mama bear" really diminishes the speaker in my eyes.

Mama bears protect their cubs from physical danger such as man or other preditors. If/when your child is in danger from a rabid animal or about to get run over by a car or is being spirited away by a pedophile, then the phrase "going mama bear" would fit.

Having a hissy fit and chewing out a total stranger because they couldn't tell if your child was a boy or a girl? Calling a teacher and screaming at that teacher for 15 minutes because they forgot your child ate only organic food and the teacher gave them a chocolate treat on Valentine's Day with all the other children? Or raging into the Principal's office because a school bus had a fender-bender accident and a neighbor gave your child a ride home from that accident? Sorry, that's not "going mama bear".

That's called not being in control of your emotions and lashing out because, once again, life has proven that the world doesn't revolve around you or your child and the entire planet (or even your immediate circle) doesn't always live by the rules you think it should live by.

Otherwise known as:

a teacup adult.

 

[Liberty Belle]

From the Urban Dictionary:



Snowflake children typically grow up to be teacups: easily chipped, cracked or broken. Unable to handle the hot coffee that makes life worth living.
Me, too. Having a tantrum and chewing out someone else, then trying to justify it by saying you were "going all mama bear" really diminishes the speaker in my eyes.

Mama bears protect their cubs from physical danger such as man or other preditors. If/when your child is in danger from a rabid animal or about to get run over by a car or is being spirited away by a pedophile, then the phrase "going mama bear" would fit.

Having a hissy fit and chewing out a total stranger because they couldn't tell if your child was a boy or a girl? Calling a teacher and screaming at that teacher for 15 minutes because they forgot your child ate only organic food and the teacher gave them a chocolate treat on Valentine's Day with all the other children? Or raging into the Principal's office because a school bus had a fender-bender accident and a neighbor gave your child a ride home from that accident? Sorry, that's not "going mama bear".

That's called not being in control of your emotions and lashing out because, once again, life has proven that the world doesn't revolve around you or your child and the entire planet (or even your immediate circle) doesn't always live by the rules you think it should live by.

Or exibit A:

a teacup adult.

Uh, hold up. Are you talking about me, or was there another poster whose child was brought home by a neighbor after a school bus accident?

 

[happygirl]

It's funny I never hear the terms, snowflake, helicopter parent or Mama Bear used anywhere but here on the Dis boards

 

[goofy!]

It is very commonly used among the higher education community with this generation of students.
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This is hardly a DIS exclusive term.

I agree that it is commonly used within the education community.

Since it is not an official, scientific term, you would not expect to find it in any medical journals or professional articles.

Although I did learn about the Teacup classification of some students from an article published by a University.

 

[mjkacmom]

I've seen both topics on the Today show, and I actually love the terms, probably because they don't apply to my children.

 

[punkin]

"Snowflake" is a derogatory term, pure and simple. What makes it worse is that it is applied by adults to children.

 

[mjkacmom]

Mama bears protect their cubs from physical danger such as man or other preditors. If/when your child is in danger from a rabid animal or about to get run over by a car or is being spirited away by a pedophile, then the phrase "going mama bear" would fit.

Having a hissy fit and chewing out a total stranger because they couldn't tell if your child was a boy or a girl? Calling a teacher and screaming at that teacher for 15 minutes because they forgot your child ate only organic food and the teacher gave them a chocolate treat on Valentine's Day with all the other children? Or raging into the Principal's office because a school bus had a fender-bender accident and a neighbor gave your child a ride home from that accident? Sorry, that's not "going mama bear".

That's called not being in control of your emotions and lashing out because, once again, life has proven that the world doesn't revolve around you or your child and the entire planet (or even your immediate circle) doesn't always live by the rules you think it should live by.

Otherwise known as:

a teacup adult.

Excellent post!

 

[mjkacmom]

"Snowflake" is a derogatory term, pure and simple. What makes it worse is that it is applied by adults to children.

It's really not being applied to the children, it's directed to the parents. It's not the child's fault at all.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Uh, hold up. Are you talking about me, or was there another poster whose child was brought home by a neighbor after a school bus accident?

I wasn't naming any specific poster here. I was merely pulling a few examples from my memory of a myriad of threads I've read here, as well as real life situations I've been told about, that demonstrate the "speshul snowflake" and "teacup" syndrome as well as the whole "goin mama bear" attitudes that I find so distasteful.

The idea that I'm picking on one particular poster wasn't implied nor should be inferred. My world does not revolve around the DIS or any one poster who happens to post here.

 

[msjprincess]

"Snowflake" is a derogatory term, pure and simple. What makes it worse is that it is applied by adults to children.

Not really. It's about the parents that think their child is a snowflake.

 

[Kitty 34]

It is very commonly used among the higher education community with this generation of students. They have come to college with the attitude that they are so special and unique that the professors should be honored to have them in their classrooms. They shouldn't have to do menial work like research or writing papers, they should be able to do whatever they want in class (check email, text, come in late, leave in the middle then return, sleep) as well as miss class because they have something more important to do and the professor should understand that. Oh and their opinion matters just as much as the professor's, so how can they lose points on a paper for that.

Yeah, DH has had a lot of snowflakes in his classroom and some semesters it seems like a blizzard. He has only had a few helicopter parents though. He doesn't entertain that.

This is hardly a DIS exclusive term.

Lovin' the blizzard simile!!!

 

[Megan_J]

I wasn't naming any specific poster here. I was merely pulling a few examples from my memory of a myriad of threads I've read here, as well as real life situations I've been told about, that demonstrate the "speshul snowflake" and "teacup" syndrome as well as the whole "goin mama bear" attitudes that I find so distasteful.

The idea that I'm picking on one particular poster wasn't implied nor should be inferred. My world does not revolve around the DIS or any one poster who happens to post here.

You got to admit though, there have been some very, very special snowflakes described on here by their parents. In fact I have to say that I have seen some of the worst examples of the snowflake syndrome on here.

 

[tlbwriter]

It's funny I never hear the terms, snowflake, helicopter parent or Mama Bear used anywhere but here on the Dis boards

I see them all over the internet. However, snowflake is not limited to children. Everywhere else, "special snowflake" is used to describe anyone, child or adult, who is special and unique and above the rules.