children

bonus child

An alternative to the title "step-child," which is a child of a step-parent who assumed the parental role through marriage to one of the child's original (usually biological) parents. Most commonly, the step-parent is the second spouse of one of the child's biological parents. My bonus children come to visit their father and me every other weekend.
See also: bonus, child

boomerang child

An adult child who has resumed living with their parents after previously moving out. I never planned to be a boomerang child—but then I got laid off.
See also: child

brainchild

Something that one has thought of or devised, especially when it is creative or clever. This harebrained scheme was your brother's brainchild, wasn't it? This feature is my brainchild, and I'm going to see it through till the end, don't worry.

children and fools tell the truth

proverb Children and fools do not know that lying can sometimes be useful, helpful, or preferable to the truth. A: "I was mortified when my son told that woman her hairstyle was ugly." B: "Well, children and fools tell the truth."
See also: and, children, fool, tell, truth

children should be seen and not heard

proverb Children should not speak among adults unless they are addressed; children should be quiet and well-behaved. My grandmother was always shushing us because she was of the opinion that children should be seen and not heard.
See also: and, children, hear, not, seen, should

heaven protects children, sailors, and drunken men

proverb A phrase used to explain how these vulnerable groups are able to avoid harm. Of course heaven protects children, sailors, and drunken men—how do you think Billy's managed to avoid hurting himself when he rides his bike so recklessly?
See also: and, drunken, heaven, men, protect

latchkey child

A child who is home alone after school or in general because their parents or guardians are at work. I know it makes me sound horrible, but I just don't want Tommy hanging out with those latchkey children from down the road. Being a latchkey child was tough at times, but it taught me the value of self-reliance at an earlier age than most.
See also: child, latchkey

poster child

A person (usually an adult, not a child) who typifies or is the perfect example of a particular characteristic, attitude, opinion, cause, or type of person. Pete managed to disassemble their washing machine, fix the problem, and then reassemble it all by himself? Wow, he's like the poster child of DIY. Ms. Walsh built her fortune from nothing, through her own tireless work and intense ambition. She really is the poster child for the rags-to-riches American Dream.
See also: child, poster

step-child

A child of a step-parent who assumed the parental role through marriage to one of the child's original (usually biological) parents. Most commonly, the step-parent is the second spouse of one of the child's biological parents. My step-children come to visit their father and me every other weekend.

Thatcher's children

A nickname for the generation of people who grew up with Margaret Thatcher as a major political figure in the UK. Primarily heard in UK. Because we are Thatcher's children, we are very familiar with her political leanings and accomplishments.
See also: children

the devil's children have the devil's luck

People who do evil things often seem to have good luck despite their actions. Naturally, the criminal carried out another attack—the devil's children have the devil's luck, after all.
See also: children, have, luck

think of the children

Consider how a particular course of action will affect young people. The phrase is often used in a panicked way, to draw attention or support to a cause. Think of the children—if they don't have a park to play in, they will turn to unsavory activities instead. We need to band together to discourage drunk driving. Think of the children!
See also: children, of, think

What about the children?

Consider how a particular course of action will affect young people. The phrase can be used sincerely to draw attention or support to a cause, or sarcastically to mock those who are perceived as being overly protective. What about the children? If they don't have a park to play in, they will turn to unsavory activities instead. A: "I just don't think such violence is appropriate in a family film." B: "Oh dear, oh dear, what about the children? However will their poor impressionable minds be able to handle a tiny amount of slapstick comedy?"
See also: what

women and children first

cliché The maxim that women and children should be put out of harm's way before men. Used especially in reference to ships sinking, most famously associated with the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Begin loading passengers onto the lifeboats, women and children first!
See also: and, children, first, women
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Children and fools tell the truth.

Prov. Children have not yet learned, and fools never did learn, that it is often advantageous to lie. Fred: What will I tell Ellen when she asks why I'm so late getting home? Alan: Tell her the truth—we were out having a few drinks. Fred: Children and fools tell the truth, Alan.
See also: and, children, fool, tell, truth

children should be seen and not heard

Prov. Children should not speak in the presence of adults. (Often used as a way to rebuke a child who has spoken when he or she should not.) You may come out and meet the party guests if you'll remember that children should be seen and not heard.
See also: and, children, hear, not, seen, should

devil's children have the devil's luck

Prov. Evil people often seem to have good luck. The police thought they had trapped the murderer, but he escaped. The devil's children have the devil's luck.
See also: children, have, luck

Heaven protects children(, sailors,) and drunken men.

Prov. Children(, sailors,) and drunk(ard)s often escape being injured in dangerous situations. (Often used to express amazement that a child, sailor, or drunk person has escaped injury.) Jill: Did you hear? A little girl fell out of a second-floor window in our apartment building. Jane: Was she killed? Jill: She wasn't even hurt. Jane: Heaven protects children, sailors, and drunken men. Mike was so drunk he shouldn't even have been conscious, but he managed to drive home without hurting himself or anyone else; heaven protects children and drunkards.
See also: and, children, drunken, heaven, men, protect

poster child (for something)

Fig. someone who is a classic example of a state or type of person. She is a poster child for soccer moms.
See also: child, poster
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

brainchild

1. n. someone’s good idea viewed as an offspring of the brain. Is this your brainchild? It won’t work.
2. n. a person who has good ideas. The boss’s new brainchild seems to have gone dry.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

flower children

Hippies of the 1960s, so named because they frequently wore or carried flowers as symbols of love and peace. Their antimaterialistic, antiwar philosophy was characterized as flower power, whose motto was “Make love, not war.” Overused for several decades, these terms now may be dying out.
See also: children, flower
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • bonus child
  • bonus kid
  • bonus son
  • bonus daughter
  • daughter
  • bonus dad
  • bonus mom
  • child
  • boomerang child
  • love child
References in classic literature
But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant felt very sad.
Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with the Giant.
He could not play about any more, so he sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden.
And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.
The Happy Prince and Other Tales
When the witch saw that the children had escaped her, she was furious, and, hitting the cat with a porringer, she said: 'Why did you let the children leave the hut?
'I have served you all these years and you never even threw me a bone, but the dear children gave me their own piece of ham.'
Then the witch was furious with the watch-dog and with the birch-trees, because they had let the children pass.
Yellow Fairy Book
Nevertheless, the idea seized upon her imagination; and, ever and anon, she took a glimpse out of the window, half dreaming that she might see the golden-haired children of paradise sporting with her own golden-haired Violet and bright-cheeked Peony.
Now, for a few moments, there was a busy and earnest, but indistinct hum of the two children's voices, as Violet and Peony wrought together with one happy consent.
And she saw Violet and Peony,--indeed, she looked more at them than at the image,--she saw the two children still at work; Peony bringing fresh snow, and Violet applying it to the figure as scientifically as a sculptor adds clay to his model.
Snow Image
Just at this moment the whole troop of children saw us.
Little by little we got into the way of conversing together, the children and I.
Later, when everyone--even Schneider--was angry with me for hiding nothing from the children, I pointed out how foolish it was, for they always knew things, only they learnt them in a way that soiled their minds but not so from me.
The Idiot
But without looking in the glass, she thought that even now it was not too late; and she thought of Sergey Ivanovitch, who was always particularly attentive to her, of Stiva's good-hearted friend, Turovtsin, who had helped her nurse her children through the scarlatina, and was in love with her.
Anna Karenina
She still loved to play with Topsy, and the various colored children; but she now seemed rather a spectator than an actor of their plays, and she would sit for half an hour at a time, laughing at the odd tricks of Topsy,--and then a shadow would seem to pass across her face, her eyes grew misty, and her thoughts were afar.
Uncle Toms Cabin