Letters to the Editor: â€˜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