My DH and I have funny nick-names we call all our daycare kids...they love it! I've never looked at any of it as name calling and I doubt any of the kiddos feel as if we are being mean. None of the nick names are insulting or meant in anyway to be cruel at all.
In some ways I think it helps the kids grow a sense of humor and understand the difference between just messing around and actual mean or bullying behavior.
There are times in which I think our society is overly sensitive and there are times in which I think parents make a bigger deal of things than necessary. I understand in some situations but over all I think our society as a whole is offended by everything. There are times in which things can be a learning experience verses outright banned or looked at so severely. Just my two cents.
