They are “his children” but they are not children, if you can make that distinction. In any event, he’s implying they are young and innocent and not involved, but none of that is true.
The problem is the English language doesn't have a word that works as well as "children" when talking about your adult sons and daughters. The technical best might be "offspring", but it has that same weird clinical sound as referring to people as "males" or "females". It'd be like trying to use "humans" as the inclusive replacement for "ladies and gentlemen." (That said, "humans" has a certain comedy value in its use.)
I'm going to disagree with you on that one. Your kids are always your children even if you are 100 and they are 80.
The rest I will agree with.
They are “his children” but they are not children, if you can make that distinction. In any event, he’s implying they are young and innocent and not involved, but none of that is true.
Yeah, I've seen this come up a couple times.
The problem is the English language doesn't have a word that works as well as "children" when talking about your adult sons and daughters. The technical best might be "offspring", but it has that same weird clinical sound as referring to people as "males" or "females". It'd be like trying to use "humans" as the inclusive replacement for "ladies and gentlemen." (That said, "humans" has a certain comedy value in its use.)
Humans, you can't live with them, you can't drive over them.
But, they aren't children anymore…
Go ask your parents if they refer to you and your siblings as "their children".
There are options: my kids, my children, my offspring and my DNA…
I'm joking