Youngsters

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Ah, childhood...

The Master said, "Respect the young. How do you know that they will not one day be all that you are now?"

— Confucius, Analects

Characters:

Subcategories:

Abandoned War Child: A child who was abandoned in the military.
Adorably Precocious Child: Child character is seen as cute for trying to act mature for their age.
Aloof Big Brother: Older sibling is professional and distant from their younger sibling.
Alpha Bitch: A popular girl who bullied the less superior girls.
Annoying Younger Sibling: A younger sibling who's seen as annoying to their older one.
The Artful Dodger: Crafty, street-wise homeless child.
The Baby of the Bunch: A child member of The Team who is often treated as such by their peers.

Babysitter from Hell: A sociopathic babysitter who's absolutely feared by a kid.
Baker Street Regular: Kid assists a police officer.
Big Brother Bully: Older sibling bullies their younger sibling.
A Boy, a Girl, and a Baby Family: A family consisting of a son, a daughter, and a baby.
Bratty Half-Pint: Immature and whiny little kid.
Bratty Teenage Daughter: A teenage daughter who's immature and self-centered.
Breath-Holding Brat: A child holds their breath to get what they want.
The Bully: A schoolyard big kid who immaturely expresses their insecurities by teasing the less fortunate.
Bully and Wimp Pairing: The Bully is paired with an Extreme Doormat.
The Cabin Boy: Child member of the pirate crew.
Censored Child Death: The death of a child is censored.
Changeling Fantasy: Your real parents are much more exciting than your other-ones.

Changeling Tale: Fairy Abduction.
Cheerful Child: Prepubescent child who is very energetic and enthusiastic.
Childhood Friends: They've been friends since they were little.
Childhood Friend Romance: A couple has known each other since they were children.
Child Mage: A pre-teen possesses magical powers.
Child of Forbidden Love: A child born from a forbidden romantic reunion.
Child Popstar: A child or teenager who's famous in the pop music industry.
Child Prodigy: A child under 13 who is academically proficient.
Cinderella Circumstances: A child hero is demoted to a lower rank, usually a servant.
A Child Shall Lead Them: A child leads adult society.
Child Soldiers: Children in the military.
Children Forced to Kill: Children are required to commit murder.
Chuunibyou: Coolness is rooted in awkward middle school experience.
Circus Brat: A temperamental circus affiliate.
Class Clown: The kid in class who gets the most attention from students and teachers alike due to their eccentricity, typically not taking school seriously.
Constantly Curious: Curiosity is a major nature of childhood.
Cousin Oliver: A child character is introduced mid-series.
Creepy Child: A child with disturbing intentions.
Crying Little Kid: A kid left crying in a mid-life crisis.
Curious as a Monkey: A child's constant curiosity about subjects they are naive too.
Dead Guy Junior: A child is named after a dead person.
Death of a Child: Story deals with a child's death.
Deliberately Cute Child: A child uses their cuteness as a manipulation tactic.
Determined Homesteader's Children: Homesteaders have lots of children.
Dirty Kid: A child with perverted interests.
Dog Got Sent to a Farm: Adult tells a small child that their pet/relative has gone somewhere when they've actually died.
Double Standard: Violence, Child on Adult: A child physically harms an adult.
Dreaded Kids' Table: The kids table becomes insufferable once adolescence approaches.
Dumbass Teenage Son: Teenage son who is slow on the uptake.
Emo Teen: A teenager who can't find their place in life joins the nonconformists.
Enfant Terrible: A child who is evil.
Evil Orphan: A child without parents who is evil.
Father, I Want to Marry My Brother: A prepubescent daughter has an innocent crush on their brother, oblivious to the incestuous context.
Fille Fatale: A prepubescent girl who's sexually promiscuous.
First Period Panic: A pre-teen girl treats their first menstrual episode as the end of the world.
Foster Kid: A child is put under foster care as a result of their tragic home life.
Free-Range Children: Children who venture around town without adult supervision.
Friend to All Children: A character who is very good with little kids.
Goo Goo Godlike: An all-powerful child who doesn't know any better.
Grade-School C.E.O.: A minor who holds a high-ranking position in a company.
Heartwarming Orphan: Orphans are portrayed as likeable.
High School Hustler: A student who uses rebellion to survive high school.
High-School Sweethearts: They got together in high school.
Homeschooled Kids: Children who don't attend public school.
Hormone-Addled Teenager: A teenager who's ruled 24/7 by their sex drive.
Hotel Hellion: Bratty little kids terrorizes a hotel.
Hot for Teacher: Students develop the hots for their teacher.
Innocent Inaccurate: A naive or misinformed young character tells what they think is the truth.
Innocent Prodigy: A child whose intelligence comes with large doses of naivete.
Invasion of the Baby Snatchers: Villains who kidnap children.
Immortality Begins at 20: Humans become immortal by age 20.
Jerk Jock: A quarterback immaturely expresses his insecurities by bullying other people.
Kid-anova: A prepubescent boy who's gotten all the girls.
Kid-Appeal Character: A character whose very existence relies on appealing to children.
Kid Detective: A child whose occupation is a detective.
Kids Driving Cars: Children are able to drive.
Kid from the Future: Kids travel back in time and meet their parents before they were born.
Kid Hero: Kids and teenagers are portrayed as heroes.
- Kid Hero All Grown-Up: Until they become adults.
Kiddie Kid: A child character behaves younger than their stated age.
Kid Samurai: A child whose occupation is a samurai.
Kids Are Cruel: Kids are portrayed as mean, spiteful, and downright malicious.
Kids Hate Grownups' Conversations: Kids reject involvement with adult-held conversations.
Kid Sidekick: The sidekick is a child.
Kids Prefer Boxes: Children love playing in boxes.
Kids Shouldn't Watch Horror Films: Horror films are portrayed as having psychologically damaging affects on little kids.
Kid with the Leash: A kid holds back their Sealed Evil in a Can from doing evil.
The Kid with the Remote Control: Kid has control over their hulking monstrosity.
Kung-Fu Kid: A child is skilled in the art of kung-fu.
Little Girls Kick Shins: A little girl kicks someone in their chin.
Little Jimmy: A young character whose only distinguishable feature is their unawareness of the subject at hand.
Little Miss Almighty: The supreme rule of the universe is a little girl.
Little Miss Badass: A little girl who can kick ass.
Little Miss Con Artist: This little girl knows how to scam.
Little Miss Snarker: A little girl who delivers sarcasm.
Little Sister Heroine: A little girl who is a love interest, fetishizes cute things, and is rather clingy.
Littlest Cancer Patient: A little girl who's suffering from the affects of cancer.
Lonely Doll Girl: A little girl plays with dolls to compensate for her lack of a social life.
Lonely Rich Kid: The rich kid is portrayed as having no friends.
Lovable Alpha Bitch: Who said popular girls can't be nice?
Lovable Jock: Who said sports guys can't be nice?
Menace Decay: A trouble child becomes less of a menace as the series progresses.
Military Brat: A child soldier who behaves immaturely.
Minor with Fake I.D.: A minor presents a fake ID to be granted permission into an adults-only place.
Miss Conception: A child receives inaccurate information as to where babies come from.
Missing Child: A child whose parents are worried sick about their absence at home.
Mouthy Kid: Snarky but reasonable kid.
Mr. Imagination: Child who spends most of their time acting out their idealisms.
Never Grew Up: Physical maturity does not stop emotional immaturity.
Ninja Brat: A child tries to imitate a ninja but fails miserably, to their brattiness.
Not Growing Up Sucks: Characters are upset because of their inability to take on adult responsibilities.
Ode to Youth: A song praising the irresponsibility of childhood or adolescence.
Ordinary High-School Student: High school student appears normal at the start of the series.
Patient Childhood Love Interest: Boy and girl have been on each other's side since infancy.
Phoneaholic Teenager: A teenager who wastes their valuable time on their phone.
Pint-Sized Kid: A child who's short by the standards of most kids their age.
Platonic Boy/Girl Heroes: A duo consisting of a young boy and girl who are required to work together.
Plucky Girl: A little girl who never gives up.
Plucky Middie: The nickname of a child soldier.
Preacher's Kid: The child of a pastor who is either a sweet angel or an immoral devil.
Precocious Crush: A child's innocent crush on an adult or adolescent.
Psychic Children: Children with psyhic powers.
Really 700 Years Old: An extraordinarily ancient character looks like a child.
Robot Kid: A robot who's programmed with the mannerisms of a child.
Royal Brat: Royal children are spoiled brats.
The Runaway: Child runs away from home.
Self-Made Orphan: A child transitions into an orphan consciously.
Smitten Teenage Girl: Teenage girls have nonsensical and obsessive crushes.
Snooping Little Kid: A child who eavesdrops on villainous sights.
Spoiled Brat: An egocentric child who becomes bratty if not doted on.
Staring Kid: Camera pans out to show a kid staring at something.
Street Urchin: A not necessarily homeless child who spends most of their time on the streets doing what they can to get by.
Superior Successor: A younger generation proves to be more competent than the previous one.
Teen Genius: A teenager who's intellectual.
Teen Superspy: Agents who are teenagers.
Tiny Tyrannical Girl: A short-statured bossy girl.
Token Mini-Moe: The only child member of the group, a cute one at that.
Token Rich Student: The only rich student of the class.
TV Teen: The media depiction of teenagers.
Tyke Bomb: Child was born to kill and bred.
Unto Us a Son and Daughter Are Born: On-screen pregnancy produces opposite-sex fraternal twins.
Wild Child: A feral child with the mannerisms of an animal.
Wise Beyond Their Years: A child who is smart and responsible for their age, in a positive way.
Wonder Child: A child abruptly comes into the life of a miserable adult.
Young Conqueror: Child helps maintain the world's beauty.
Young Entrepreneur: Child who is good at getting other people's money.
Young Gun: Gun-toting kid.

Devices:

Age-Appropriate Angst: A character's age determines what is appropriate for them to worry about.
Babysitting Episode: An episode that centers around a kid being babysit.
Badly Battered Babysitter: A babysitter never gets her way.
Before My Time: Someone's education leaves them with knowledge of subjects that precede their birth.
Best Years of Your Life: Once you turn 18, the joy you had in life goes down the drain, so it's best to enjoy your childhood while it lasts.
Bittersweet 17: A 17-year-old who is in their coming-of-age.
Blanket Fort: A fort made out of blankets.
Braces of Orthodontic Overkill: A pubescent child's braces are depicted as gawky and over-exaggerated.
Brats with Slingshots: Immature children in fiction are given slingshots as weapons.
Carload of Cool Kids: A car with the windows down passes by and the students inside make harassing remarks to their less fortunate schoolmates.
Child Hater: Someone who despises children.
Childhood Brain Damage: A character who suffered a head injury during their childhood.
Childish Tooth Gap: A gap in between a child's teeth to portray them as being immature.
Childless Dystopia: Life becomes miserable without children.
Children Are Innocent: Children are devoid of malicious or sexual intentions.
Children Are Special: Feats that are exclusive to children.
Coming-of-Age Story: Character matures into adulthood over the course of the story.
Cover Innocent Eyes and Ears: Adults prevent children from witnessing an occurring tragedy.
Cowboys and Indians (and variants): Children play war.
Dangerous 16th Birthday: The Sweet 16's exact opposite.
Dating What Daddy Hates: Daughter brings home a boyfriend of whom her father disapproves.
Dawson Casting (sort of); adults are cast child or teenage characters, or adolescents are cast as prepubescents.
First Snow: Kid witnesses the first event of snowing outside.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: A duo of siblings respectively consisting of a doofus and a mature person.
Fountain of Youth: Characters regress to an earlier age.
For Your Own Good: Something bad happens to a child with good intentions.
From the Mouths of Babes: Small children say malicious things.
Girlish Pigtails: Little girl wears pigtails to portray her youth.
Growing Up Sucks: 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.
Harmful to Minors: Something is portrayed as having psychologically damaging effects on minors in a way that it wouldn't someone over the age of majority.
Hide Your Children: Children are protected by parents from a certain societal evil.
High School: The final stage of school.
High School A.U.: A Fan Fic where the characters attend high school.
High-School Dance: Prom night, a homecoming event where high schoolers get together and embrace their youth.
High School Rejects: People you knew from high school are now working minimum-wage jobs.
High School Rocks: Being a high schooler is a rewarding experience.
Hilariously Abusive Childhood: Child abuse/neglect is played for laughs.
Imaginary Friend: A child treats a figment of their imagination as their best friend to compensate for their loner reputation.
Improbable Infant Survival: A kid is too young to die.
Innocence Lost: A child's innocence fades away as a result of a tragedy.
Is That Cute Kid Yours?: 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.
Junior High: The stage of school following elementary and preceding high.
Just a Kid: Someone is denied certain privileges on account of their status as a child.
Juvenile Hell: Juvenile hall is portrayed as an early passage to Hell.
Kid Has a Point: Children make intelligent observations.
Kids Versus Adults: A setting where the children rival the adults.
Little Brother Is Watching: More sinful characters yield in the presence of children.
Little Professor Dialog: Little kids with wordly experience.
Little Stowaway: Children hide in vehicles.
A Minor Kidroduction: A work starts with a brief scene of the protagonist as a child.
Minor Living Alone: A minor who lives without their parents.
Most Definitely Not Accompanying Us: Children aren't allowed on adventures.
Most Writers Are Adults: Kids in fiction behave a lot like adults.
Never Land: An area or town is governed by children.
No Blood Ties: A universe in which parents are not expected to raise their own offspring.
Not Allowed to Grow Up: Child character remains the same age throughout the course of the series.
"Not Important to This Episode" Camp: The kids are Put on a Bus for an episode or story arc.
One Last Field Trip: When a character is about to come of age, they return to a childhood ritual for one last time.
One of the Kids: An adult hangs out with children.
Only Fatal to Adults: Something harms adults in a way that it wouldn't children.
Overnight Age-Up: Children transition into adults overnight.
Parents for a Day: Children play the role as Designated Parents.
Playing Doctor: Children roleplay as doctors, often to see the opposite vender's anatomy.
Playing House: Children pretend to take on adult roles.
Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Character grows older to contribute to the plot.
Princess Phase: All girls want to be princesses.
The Promposal: A request to take your date to prom.
Protected by a Child: Character is under the care of a child.
Puberty Superpower: Being pubescent grants one superpowers.
Pubescent Braces: Pre-teen and teenagers wear braces to portray them in that awkward puberty stage.
Puppy Love: Prepubescent children who fall in love with each other.
Really 17 Years Old: A minor pretends to be an adult.
Recruit Teenagers with Attitude: Instead of trained adults, teenagers save the day.
Scare Dare: A childhood dare consisting of waltzing into spookiness.
Security Blanket: A child's inanimate source of comfort.
Shoe Shine, Mister?: A young boy carries a box of shiny tools used to polish shoes.
Sibling Rivalry: Siblings who clash a lot.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Siblings' whose personalities contrast.
Skip of Innocence: Children skip rather than normally walking to portray them as innocent.
Sneaking Snacks: Sneaking snacks from the pantry at midnight when it's past your bedtime.
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome: A child character is suddenly older without explanation.
Staying with Friends: Children stay with their friends rather than parents or legal guardians.
Super-Strong Child: Prepubescents are portrayed with great strength.
Tagalong Kid: A child tags along an older team's adventures and often comes off as a nuisance to them.
Teacher/Student Romance: Teachers and students are in a relationship.
Teenage Wasteland: Kids now have adult power and responsibilities and rule over society.
Teen Drama: A drama aimed towards the teenage demographic.
Teen Pregnancy: Teenage girls get pregnant.
Teens Are Monsters: Teenage characters are portrayed as sociopathic and rebellious.
Teens Are Short: Teenagers are short in stature.
Teens Love Shopping: Teenage characters, usually girls, have a love for shopping.
Tell Me About My Father: A child inquires about a parent they never knew.
There Are No Adults: A setting devoid of adults, leaving the population inhabited by children and teenagers.
Totally Radical: Awkward slang is used to appeal to youth.
Toy Ship: Children are paired with each other in fandom.
Treehouse of Fun: A treehouse full of innocent childlike fun.
Troubled Child: A depressed child with little emotion and a tragic backstory.
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Children engage in age-inappropriate behavior.
Unbalanced by Rival's Kid: The Romantic Runner-Up in a Love Triangle meets the couple’s kid; drama ensues due to lingering resentment.
Weapon Jr.: Children have kid-friendly versions of adult weapons.
Water Guns and Balloons: Kids have fun outdoors by fighting with water guns and water-filled balloons.
When I Was Your Age...: An adult complains about how easy the youth have it nowadays in contrast to their childhood.
Wild Teen Party: A rambunctious party full of rebellious teenagers.
Would Hurt a Child: A character has no qualms over physically abusing a child.
Wouldn't Hurt a Child: A character views the physical abuse of a child as repulsive.
You Meddling Kids: Teenagers get away with their criminal behavior on account of their legal minor status.
You Must Be This Tall to Ride: Kids can't ride thrill rides due to not meeting the height requirements.
Youth Is Wasted on the Dumb: Kids and teensgers can be quite stupid.
Youthful Freckles: Children with freckles.