Warning: Rant ahead

It's a term I hear (I suppose technically, read) in discussions quite often. "Life is too short, child", "Don't worry about it, child".. ad nauseum..

It's patronizing, infuriating and unfortunately used quite too often. I wonder if this has anything to do with my gender.. are men ever referred to as 'children' in discussions?

The worst part is.. half the time the person using the term does not mean it in the way it comes across -- equal to a pat on a head and a lollipop in an outstretched hand.

I'm nearly thirty years old (eight months away, to be accurate) and I am not a child. I agree, I may act like one now and then and I may even sound like one occasionally but unless you happen to be a 54 year old Polish woman with facial features strikingly like my own, please do not call me that.