%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1362855728090518400
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
%% Original image moved to TropesOfInnocence as part of thread decision.
%%
[[quoteright:307:[[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/youthful-freckles_dennis-the-menace_us_3933.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:307: [[GirlsHaveCooties Ah, childhood...]]]]

->''The Master said, "Respect the young. How do you know that they will not one day be all that you are now?"''
-->-- '''Creator/{{Confucius}}''', ''The Analects''

''Entries concerning children. See AdultTropes and {{Elders}} for the opposite.''

Compare TinyTropes, SchoolTropes, and TeenageTropes. See also ChildrensShowTropes. Make sure they're accompanied with TheParentTrope.

----

!!Characters:
[[index]]
[floatboxright:
'''Subcategories:'''
+ AdoptAnIndex
+ BabiesBabiesEverywhere
+ ChildAbuseTropes
+ EarlyAdulthoodIndex
+ OrphanedIndex
+ PrecociousnessTropes
+ PubertyTropes
+ RichKids
+ TeenageTropes
]
* AbandonedWarChild: A child who was fathered by a soldier that was killed or missing in wartime circumstances.
* AccidentalChildKillerBackstory: A character unintentionally killed a child and now lives with the guilt.
* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Child character is seen as cute for trying to act mature for their age.
* AdultHater: A child who despises adults.
* AffectionHatingKid: A child who hates expressing, and/or seeing people express, affection.
* AnnoyinglyRepetitiveChild: Someone is annoyed by a kid saying or doing something over and over.
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: A younger sibling who's seen as annoying to their older one.
* TheArtfulDodger: Crafty, street-wise homeless child.
* ArtisticLicenseChildLaborLaws: Kids are shown working despite being too young to work in real life.
* BabyAsPayment: A child is given away in exchange for something else.
* TheBabyOfTheBunch: A child member of TheTeam who is often treated as such by their peers.
* BabysitterFriendship: A special friendship between a child, and their caregiver.
* BabysitterFromHell: A sociopathic babysitter who's absolutely feared by a kid.
* BabysittersNightmare: A bratty child drives away anyone hired to babysit them.
* BakerStreetRegular: Kid assists a police officer.
* BigBrotherBully: Older sibling bullies their younger sibling.
* ABoyAGirlAndABabyFamily: A family consisting of a son, a daughter, and a baby.
* BoyishShorts: Shorts on young male characters to convey their youth and/or immaturity around adults.
* BrattyHalfPint: Immature and whiny little kid.
* BreathHoldingBrat: A child holds their breath to get what they want.
* TheBully: A schoolyard big kid who immaturely expresses their insecurities by teasing the less fortunate.
* BullyAndWimpPairing: TheBully is paired with an ExtremeDoormat.
* TheCabinBoy: Child member of the pirate crew.
* CensoredChildDeath: The death of a child is censored.
* ChangelingFantasy: Your real parents are much more exciting than your other ones.
* ChangelingTale: Babies who are abducted by fairies and replaced.
* CheerfulChild: Child who is very energetic and enthusiastic.
* ChickenpoxEpisode: A character, almost always a child, comes down with chickenpox.
* AChildShallLeadThem: A child leads adult society.
* ChildhoodFriends: They've been friends since they were little.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: A couple has known each other since they were children.
* ChildMage: A preteen wizard.
* ChildOfForbiddenLove: A child born from a forbidden romantic reunion.
* ChildPopstar: A child who's famous in the pop music industry.
* ChildProdigy: A child who is academically proficient.
* ChildSoldiers: Children in the military.
* ChildrenAreTenderHearted: A child who has a soft heart.
* ChildrenAsPawns: Using children as part of a plan.
* ChildrenDoTheHousework: Children do the household chores in place of their parents.
* ChildrenForcedToKill: Children are required to commit murder.
* ChildrensCovertCoterie: A genuine secret society of children.
* {{Chuunibyou}}: A young character tries too hard to convince others they're "cool".
* CircusBrat: A child who grew up in the circus.
* ClassClown: The kid in class who gets the most attention from students and teachers alike due to their eccentricity, typically not taking school seriously.
* ClingyChild: A child who loves to cling to older people because they are shy, scared, or affectionate.
* ClungOnTight: When a character (hostile or not), clings on and won't let go of another for whatever reason. Can overlap with the above immediately above trope.
* ConstantlyCurious: Curiosity is a major nature of childhood.
* CousinOliver: A child character is introduced mid-series.
* CreepyChild: A child with disturbing intentions.
* CuriousAsAMonkey: A child's constant curiosity about subjects they are naive to.
* DeadGuyJunior: A child is named after a dead person.
* DeathOfAChild: Story deals with a child's death.
* DeliberatelyCuteChild: A child uses their cuteness as a manipulation tactic.
* DirtyKid: A child with perverted interests.
* DogGotSentToAFarm: Adult tells a small child that their pet/relative has gone somewhere when they've actually died.
* DoubleStandardViolenceChildOnAdult: A child physically harms an adult, but this is treated non-seriously and ''would'' have been treated seriously if the roles were reversed.
* DreadedKidsTable: The kids' table becomes insufferable once adolescence approaches.
* TheDreadedPretendTeaParty: Someone hates being part of a child's (usually a girl's) pretend tea party.
* EarlyPersonalitySigns: A child shows signs of their older personality, usually as a gag.
* EarPiercingPlot: A young character wants their ears pierced, but is either too scared to do it or is forbidden from doing so by their parents.
* EasilyEmbarrassedYoungster: A child who's easily embarrassed.
* EmbarrassedByAChild: A child points out that someone is doing something unusual, which embarrasses the person.
* EnfantTerrible: A child who is evil.
* EntertainmentAboveTheirAge: A child watches/reads/etc fiction that's meant for someone older.
* EvilOrphan: A child without parents who is evil.
* FatherIWantToMarryMyBrother: A child has an innocent crush on a family member, oblivious to the incestuous context.
* FilleFatale: A prepubescent girl who's sexually promiscuous.
* FirstPeriodPanic: A pre-teen girl treats her first menstrual episode as the end of the world.
* ForcedBath: Someone, usually a child, is forced by several people to take a bath.
* FosterKid: A child is put under foster care as a result of their tragic home life.
* FreeRangeChildren: Children who venture around town without adult supervision.
* FriendToAllChildren: A character who is very good with little kids.
* GooGooGodlike: An all-powerful child who doesn't know any better.
* GradeSchoolCEO: A minor who holds a high-ranking position in a company.
* HeartwarmingOrphan: Orphans are portrayed as likable.
* HideAndSeekHorror: A game of hide-and-seek is played for horror.
* HomeschooledKids: Children who don't attend public school.
* HomeworkSlave: A kid bullies another kid into doing their homework for them.
* HotelHellion: Bratty little kids terrorizes a hotel.
* HumanJungleGym: Involves children climbing up large characters like a playground.
* InfantSiblingJealousy: A child is [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] of their newborn sibling.
* InnocentAwkwardQuestion: A child asks an adult a question that inadvertently makes the adults feel awkward.
* InnocentInaccurate: A naive or misinformed young character tells what they think is the truth.
* InnocentProdigy: A child whose intelligence comes with large doses of naivete.
* InvasionOfTheBabySnatchers: Non-humans kidnapping babies.
* KidAmidTheChaos: A kid left crying and scared in the middle of chaos gives the hero an opportunity to show their condolences.
* KidAnova: A young boy who's gotten all the girls.
* KidAppealCharacter: A character whose very existence relies on appealing to children.
* KidDetective: A child solves mysteries.
* KidFromTheFuture: Kids travel back in time and meet their parents before they were born.
* KidHero: Children are portrayed as heroes.
** KidHeroAllGrownUp: Until they become adults.
* KiddieKid: A child character behaves younger than their stated age.
* KiddyCoveralls: Kids wear overalls to show they're messy and troublemaking.
* KidSamurai: A child whose occupation is a samurai.
* KidsAreCruel: Kids are portrayed as mean, spiteful, and downright malicious.
* KidsDrivingCars: Children are able to drive.
* KidsHateChores: Children are averse to household chores.
* KidsHateVegetables: Children have a distaste for vegetables.
* KidsLoveDinosaurs: Children will be excited over anything dinosaur related.
* KidsRaidingTheWineCabinet: Kids being precocious and trying the grown-up's loopy-juice.
* KidSidekick: The sidekick is a child.
* KidsPreferBoxes: Children love playing in boxes.
* KidsShouldntWatchHorrorFilms: Horror films are portrayed as having damaging effects on little kids.
* KidWithTheLeash: A kid holds back their SealedEvilInACan from doing evil.
* TheKidWithTheRemoteControl: Kid has control over their hulking monstrosity.
* KungFuKid: A child is skilled in the art of kung-fu.
* LittleGirlsKickShins: A little girl kicks someone in the shin.
* LittleJimmy: A young character whose only distinguishable feature is their unawareness of the subject at hand.
* LittleMissAlmighty: The supreme rule of the universe is a girl.
* LittleMissBadass: A little girl who can kick ass.
* LittleMissConArtist: This little girl knows how to scam.
* LittleMissSnarker: A little girl who delivers sarcasm.
* LittleSisterHeroine: A little sister (or figure of such) who is a love interest, fetishizes cute things, and is rather clingy.
* LittlestCancerPatient: A little kid who's suffering from the effects of a terminal, or possibly-terminal, disease (not necessarily actual cancer, but it can be).
* LonelyDollGirl: A little girl plays with dolls to compensate for her lack of a social life.
* LonelyRichKid: The rich kid is portrayed as having no friends.
* MatureYoungerSibling: A younger sibling is mature compared to their older one(s).
* MatureWorkChildProtagonists: A work aimed at adults has children as protagonists.
* MenaceDecay: A troubled child becomes less of a menace as the series progresses.
* MilitaryBrat: Child of a military parent. Unlike most tropes in this list, this status lasts throughout life.
* MinorWithFakeID: A minor presents a fake ID to be granted permission into an adult-only place.
* MissConception: A child receives inaccurate information as to where babies come from.
* MissingChild: A child whose parents are worried sick about their absence at home.
* MouthyKid: Snarky but reasonable kid.
* NeverARunaway: Not always a youngster, but generally targeted at young people who are believed to have run away but did not.
* NeverGrewUp: A character never emotionally grows up despite chronologically and/or physically aging.
* NewKidStigma: The new pupil at school is disliked by classmates.
* NinjaBrat: A child tries to imitate a ninja but fails miserably, to their brattiness.
* NobodyLikesATattletale: Children won't tell adults about their problems because they're scared of being labeled tattletales.
* NotGrowingUpSucks: Characters are upset over their physical or mental age not advancing with their chronological age.
* OdeToYouth: A song praising the irresponsibility of childhood or adolescence.
* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: High school student appears normal at the start of the series before becoming the hero in some fantastical plot.
* OtherworldlyVisitsYoungestFirst: The youngest in the group is the first to see something otherworldly.
* PatientChildhoodLoveInterest: Male and female love interests have been on each other's side since childhood.
* PintSizedKid: A child who's short by the standards of most kids their age.
* PlatonicBoyGirlHeroes: A duo consisting of a young boy and girl who are required to work together.
* PlayingDoctor: Two kids play a game that involves seeing the opposite sex naked, out of curiosity.
* PluckyGirl: A little girl who never gives up.
* PluckyMiddie: The nickname of a child sailor.
* PreachersKid: The child of a pastor who is either a sweet angel or an immoral devil.
* PrecociousCrush: A child's innocent crush on an older person.
* PsychicChildren: Children with psychic powers.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: An extraordinarily ancient character looks like a child.
* RobotKid: A robot who's programmed with the mannerisms of a child.
* RoyalBrat: Royal children are spoiled brats.
* TheRunaway: Child runs away from home.
* SelfMadeOrphan: A child kills their own parents.
* SnoopingLittleKid: A child who eavesdrops on villainous sights.
* SpoiledBrat: An egocentric child who becomes bratty if not doted on.
* SpoiledSweet: A pampered child who is always outwardly nice and sweet-tempered.
* StaringKid: Camera pans out to show a kid staring at something.
* StreetUrchin: A not-necessarily homeless child who spends most of their time on the streets doing what they can to get by.
* SuperiorSuccessor: A younger generation proves to be more competent than the previous one.
* TeamKids
* TinyTimTemplate: A character based on the innocent child Tiny Tim from ''Literature/AChristmasCarol''.
* TinyTyrannicalGirl: A short bossy girl.
* TokenMiniMoe: The only child member of the group, a cute one at that.
* TokenRichStudent: The only rich student of the class.
* TykeBomb: Child was born and bred to kill.
* UndeadChild: A child who's an undead creature, or an undead creature masquerading as a child.
* UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn: On-screen pregnancy produces opposite-sex fraternal twins.
* WildChild: A feral child with the mannerisms of an animal.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: A child who is smart and responsible for their age, in a positive way.
* WonderChild: A childless older person or couple receives a baby through natural means.
* YoungConqueror: A young character striving to TakeOverTheWorld.
* YoungEntrepreneur: Child who is good at getting other people's money.
* YoungGun: Gun-toting kid.

!!Devices:
* AgeAppropriateAngst: A character's age determines what is appropriate for them to worry about.
* AgeDownRomance: An older character turned back into a kid gets romantically involved with someone who is actually that age.
* BabysittingEpisode: An episode that centers around a kid being babysat.
* BadlyBatteredBabysitter: A babysitter never gets her way.
* BeforeMyTime: Someone's education leaves them with knowledge of subjects that precede their birth.
* BestYearsOfYourLife: A lie told by parents or other adults about youth being the best time of a person's life even when the kid is facing serious problems.
* Bittersweet17: A 17-year-old who is in their coming-of-age.
* BlanketFort: A fort made out of blankets.
* BracesOfOrthodonticOverkill: A pubescent child's braces are depicted as gawky and over-exaggerated.
* BratsWithSlingshots: Immature children in fiction are given slingshots as weapons.
* ChildHater: A character who hates children.
* ChildhoodBrainDamage: A character who suffered a head injury during their childhood.
* ChildishBangs: Little girls have bangs with otherwise-longer hair.
* ChildishToothGap: A gap in between a child's teeth to portray them as being immature.
* ChildlessDystopia: Life becomes miserable without children.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Children are devoid of malicious intentions.
* ChildrenAreSpecial: Feats that are exclusive to children.
* ComingOfAgeStory: Child character matures into adolescence or adulthood over the course of the story.
* CoverInnocentEyesAndEars: Adults prevent children from witnessing an occurring tragedy.
* CowboysAndIndians (and variants): Children play war.
* DawsonCasting (sort of); adults are cast as child characters.
* EntertainmentAboveTheirAge: Children enjoying grown-up fiction.
* EntertainmentBelowTheirAge: Although fully capable of extending to adults, children can also enjoy fiction intended for much younger kids.
* FirstSnow: Kid witnesses the first event of snowing outside.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: A duo of siblings respectively consisting of a doofus and a mature person.
* FountainOfYouth: Characters regress to an earlier age.
* ForYourOwnGood: Something bad happens to a child with good intentions.
* FormerChildStar: Celebrity who achieved fame as a child.
* FromTheMouthsOfBabes: Small children say malicious things.
* GirlishPigtails: Little girl wears pigtails to portray her youth.
* GirlsHaveCooties: Young boys think girls and romance are icky.
* GlassesCuriosity: Wanting to wear other people's glasses is common behavior among children.
* GottaPassTheClass: A kid needing to get a good grade or else risk failing and losing privileges.
* GrowingUpSucks: Children who believe that growing older is no fun because of the things they could do as kids that they won't be allowed to do anymore.
* HideYourChildren: Stories (usually video games) artificially exclude children from situations in which they might come to harm.
* ImaginaryFriend: A child treats a figment of their imagination as their best friend to compensate for their loner reputation.
* ImprobableInfantSurvival: Children are immune to death.
* InnocenceLost: A child's innocence fades away as a result of a tragedy.
* IsThatCuteKidYours: A character or pair of is seen with a child and is asked if it is theirs, even if there's no way it could be.
* JuniorHigh: The stage of school following elementary and preceding high.
* JuniorVariant: A simplified board game variant made for kids.
* JustAKid: Someone is denied certain privileges on account of their status as a child.
* JuvenileHell: Juvenile hall is portrayed as an early passage to {{Hell}}.
* KidHasAPoint: Children make intelligent observations.
* KidsVersusAdults: A setting where the children rival the adults.
* LittleBrotherIsWatching: More sinful characters yield in the presence of children.
* LittleProfessorDialog: Little kids with worldly experience.
* LittleStowaway: Children hide in vehicles.
* AMinorKidroduction: A work starts with a brief scene of the protagonist as a child.
* MinorLivingAlone: A minor who lives without their parents.
* MostDefinitelyNotAccompanyingUs: Children who aren't allowed on adventures find a way to sneak on them.
* MostWritersAreAdults: Kids in fiction behave a lot like adults.
* NeverLand: An area or town is governed by children.
* NoBloodTies: A universe in which parents are not expected to raise their own offspring.
* NotAllowedToGrowUp: Child character remains the same age throughout the course of the series.
* OneLastFieldTrip: When a character is about to come of age, they return to a childhood ritual for one last time.
* OnlyFatalToAdults: Something harms adults in a way that it wouldn't children.
* OvernightAgeUp: Children transition into an older age overnight through magical powers.
* ParentsForADay: Children play the role of DesignatedParents.
* ParentInducedExtendedChildhood: A child is prevented from maturing or even aging by their parents.
* PlayingDoctor: Children roleplay as doctors.
* PlayingHouse: Children pretend to take on adult roles.
* PlotRelevantAgeUp: Character grows older to contribute to the plot.
* PrincessPhase: All girls want to be princesses.
* PropellerHatOfWhimsy: Propeller hats as a visual shorthand for whimsical and/or youthful people.
* ProtectedByAChild: A child jumps right in to save the life of a distressed and threatened person.
* PubescentBraces: Character wears braces to portray them as approaching or in the stage of puberty.
* PuppyLove: Prepubescent children who fall in love with each other.
* Really17YearsOld: A minor pretends to be an adult.
* RemoteControlRuckus: Two or more characters (usually children) fight over a remote control when they can't agree on what TV show to watch.
* ScareDare: A childhood dare consisting of waltzing into spookiness.
* SecurityBlanket: A child's inanimate source of comfort.
* ShoeShineMister: A young boy carries a box of shiny tools used to polish shoes.
* SiblingRivalry: Siblings who clash a lot.
* SiblingYinYang: Siblings' whose personalities contrast.
* SkipOfInnocence: Children skip rather than normally walking to portray them as innocent.
* SneakingSnacks: Sneaking snacks from the pantry at midnight when it's past your bedtime.
** TemptingCookieJar: ...Or any other time of the day, but there's still a restriction on them.
* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome: A child character is suddenly older without explanation.
* StayingWithFriends: Children stay with their friends rather than parents or legal guardians.
* SuperStrongChild: Prepubescents are portrayed with great strength.
* TagalongKid: A child tags along with an older team's adventures and often comes off as a nuisance to them.
* TeacherStudentRomance: Teachers and students are in a relationship, or at least one side wants to be.
* TeachersUnfavoriteStudent: A teacher really hates one particular student.
* TeenageWasteland: Kids now have adult power and responsibilities and rule over society.
* TellMeAboutMyFather: A child inquires about a parent they never knew.
* ThereAreNoAdults: A setting devoid of adults, leaving the population inhabited by children.
* ThirteenthBirthdayMilestone: A child's 13th birthday is treated as an important event.
* TotallyRadical: Awkward slang is used to appeal to youth.
* ToyBasedCharacterization: A person's favorite toy, or the way they play with their toys, says something about their personality.
* ToyShip: Children are paired with each other in fandom.
* TrappedAtTheDinnerTable: The stock punishment of not letting a picky eater leave the dinner table until they've eaten everything on their plate.
* TreehouseOfFun: A treehouse full of innocent childlike fun.
* TrojanVeggies: Tricking a child into eating vegetables by hiding them in a different food.
* TroubledChild: A depressed child with little emotion and a tragic backstory.
* TroubledToybreaker: An abused, neglected or otherwise troubled child vents their anger by destroying toys.
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Children engage in age-inappropriate behavior.
* UnbalancedByRivalsKid: The RomanticRunnerUp in a LoveTriangle meets the couple’s kid; drama ensues due to lingering resentment.
* UnstablePoweredChild: Empowered children whose immaturity, youth, and lack of coping skills cause problems around them.
* WeaponJr: Children have kid-friendly versions of adult weapons.
* WaterGunsAndBalloons: Kids have fun outdoors by fighting with water guns and water-filled balloons.
* WhenIWasYourAge: An adult complains about how easy the youth have it nowadays in contrast to their childhood.
* YouMeddlingKids: A villain blames the young characters for exposing their crime, because the villain would have gotten away with it had the kids not foiled their plans.
* YouMustBeThisTallToRide: Kids can't ride thrill rides due to not meeting the height requirements.
* YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb: Kids can be quite stupid.
* YouthfulFreckles: Children with freckles.
[[/index]]

----