# My pre-schooler is my new smilie advisor **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048 "2004-11-16T12:45:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/1 "2004-11-16T12:45:42Z")
My youngest daughter is almost five, and starting about two weeks ago, she started to take interest in the actual mechanics of posting on the SDMB. Now, when she sees me posting, she comes over, and asks me: “Are you gonna use a smilie? Which smilie are you gonna use? No, don’t use that one; I like this one better, use this one. Okay, now can you use that other one?” I’ve tried explaining to her that smilies need to convey something appropriate to the message; there are two problems with that: One, she doesn’t know what “convey” means; two, in the egocentric way of all small children, she thinks the smilies are there simply to amuse her. Was that mundane and pointless enough for ya? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/2 "2004-11-16T12:50:31Z")
Okay – which of you picked that smiley? ;j ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/3 "2004-11-16T13:02:16Z")
That’s so cute! ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/4 "2004-11-16T13:03:17Z")
🙂 :dubious: :rolleyes: 😛😉 :wally :smack: 🆒 ;j 😕😃😕 :mad: :o ☹ :eek: Couldn’t resisit… ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/5 "2004-11-16T13:37:17Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Okay – which of you picked that smiley? > > ;j Well, I did; see, she’s young enough that a little “sleight of hand” works. If she wants to pick my smilies, I’ll see if there are _two_ that are appropriate, and then let _her_ decide which of the two I should use. For instance, 😛 and 😃 are often good at the same time, as are :rolleyes: and :dubious: . So it’s really just a matter of re-direction. When she’s old enough that that doesn’t work anymore, I’ll probably let her start formatting her own posts (and then not posting them, of course). ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/6 "2004-11-16T13:40:44Z")
_I am norikid and I smilied this post_🆒 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/7 "2004-11-16T14:03:12Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > _I am norikid and I smilied this post_🆒 Maybe this should be my new sig? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![For\_The\_Children](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@For\_The\_Children](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/For_The_Children)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/8 "2004-11-17T15:18:21Z")
I think that is VERY cute. Children learn by example. Who knows your little pre-k wonder may grow up to be a great philosopher! How’s this for confusing you - I think your little muchkin has a great smile herself!!! 😉 Making you wonder how I know that, huh? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/9 "2004-11-17T16:09:12Z")
> [@For The Children](#): > > Making you wonder how I know that, huh? Well, either you know me somehow, or you’ve run across a linked photo of her that’s floating around in one thread or another; there are several. She is a cutie. ---
**Author:** ![For\_The\_Children](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@For\_The\_Children](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/For_The_Children)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/10 "2004-11-17T16:17:22Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Well, either you know me somehow, or you’ve run across a linked photo of her that’s floating around in one thread or another; there are several. She is a cutie. But of course we have met. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/11 "2004-11-17T16:23:32Z")
> [@For The Children](#): > > But of course we have met. C’mon, if we’ve met, you know my 17-year-old has me in a very fragile mental state right now; so, give. Who are you? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![For\_The\_Children](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@For\_The\_Children](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/For_The_Children)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/12 "2004-11-17T16:28:53Z")
Not to mention the 13 year old. But, they are all pretty good kids. Anonymity is wonderful. Can’t we just say let’s be cyber friends? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/13 "2004-11-17T16:35:00Z")
_gasp_ You fiend! You’re turning your poor, innocent daughter into a hopeless Dope addict! Won’t someone _please_ think of the children?!? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/14 "2004-11-17T16:42:09Z")
My 3 year old likes to help me too. She calls them balls instead of smilies and likes the green ones best. She enjoys pointing out which feelings the balls express… happy, sad, silly… ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-pre-schooler-is-my-new-smilie-advisor/275048/15 "2004-11-17T16:52:20Z")
> [@For The Children](#): > > Not to mention the 13 year old. But, they are all pretty good kids. Anonymity is wonderful. Can’t we just say let’s be cyber friends? We _could_ say that, but now that I think about it, I believe I detect a hint of a southern accent in your posts. . . **Kytheria** , I’ve been an unfit mother for a _long_ time. . .just ask my 17-year-old 😃 **tanookie** , that’s adorable! I can certainly see why she’d call them “balls”; the only reason my little 'un knows they’re “smilies” is because she asked.