Letters to the Editor: ‘Kidulting’? Peter Pan was doing that more than a century ago

To the editor: I had never heard the words “kidulting” and “rejuveniling” before reading Robin Abcarian’s Oct. 25 column, “Don’t grow all the way up, it’s a trap!” But the idea of people resisting adulthood is nothing new.

In 1904, the Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie wrote “Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” This was the story of an ageless boy who lived his adventures in Neverland, a place to imagine and visit in your mind when the realities of life get too difficult.

In a perfect and apt song titled “I Won’t Grow Up,” from the 1954 musical “Peter Pan,” the great Mary Martin sang as the title character one of the best reasons for refusing adulthood: “Cause growing up is awfuller than all the awful things that ever were.”

These feelings are as timeless and precious as the childhood comforts we all keep tucked away and handy for when we need them most.

Frances Terrell Lippman, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: While reading Abcarian’s column on “kidulting,” I was reminded of when I worked in marketing in the early 1980s. One of our promotions included a stuffed elephant.

As a joke, I picked one up, hugged it and stuck my thumb in my mouth. Immediately, all anxiety and tension oozed out of my mind and body. I suddenly understood why babies soothe themselves this way.

Now I have a dog for cuddling. When he’s gone, I’m going to get a stuffed animal for myself. But this time, I’ll forgo the thumb.

Lind Heisen, Los Angeles