KD… K?

Now that our three older kids have hit the tween/teen years, I am trying my best to stay relevant with what’s happening in their world.
I’m constantly updating our playlist to try to include music they like. I read teen/young adult books to stay ahead of what they are asking to read. And I do my best to stay in touch with the teen lingo. I’m often lagging, but so far they still tell me I’m pretty cool, as far as moms go.
The three older kids communicate with me quite a lot using text messaging on their iPods, so I might spend more time than I would like to admit Googling the translation of popular texting abbreviations. But a few months ago, the boys started using one that really had me stumped.
I would text them a request, and they would text back the usual, “K.”
“OK.” Yep. Got it. No brainer.
Or they would say, “KK,” which also makes perfect sense.
But then, they would usually end the conversation with “KD.”
KD? KD? What could that mean?
I asked the Internets. I sat and pondered. “Think. Think. Think,” I would tell myself. I didn’t want to ask any of my friends because I was afraid to reveal my lack of knowledge. And there was no way I was going to ask my kids.
Finally, I went to the one place, I just KNEW I could find the answer.
The hair salon.
Hair stylists are basically the psychotherapists for the female world, it seems. What is it about having someone cut your hair that causes you to tell this person stuff? It seems stylists know a lot about people. And they know a lot about what is going in the world. They spend hours and hours making small talk with people to break the awkward silence of nothing but the sound of scissors. They always know about the latest movies, the best TV shows, events around town, and I was pretty sure they would know everything about teen texting abbreviations.
It took me a little while to work up my nerve. But then I had to ask.
“Ummm…. Do you happen to know what it means if your teen texts you with the letters KD?” I asked.
This question had been weighing on my mind for weeks at this point, and I was anxious to finally get my answer.
Then my heart sank.
She didn’t know.
She asked the stylist next to her. And that stylists asked the one next to her. Soon, the question was circulating around the salon from customers to make-up artists to the receptionist.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT KD MEANS?!?!?
No one. Not one person had any clue what it meant. Everyone had their phone in hand, searching for the answer. Still nothing.
When my son got home from school that afternoon, I went to him with my head down in embarrassment.
“You know… you keep texting me these letters…. KD… I have no idea what they mean.”
“Oh,” he said casually. “Kevin Durant.”
Kevin Durant.
The initials of his favorite basketball player.
Because that makes perfect sense.
It wasn’t even a thing. It was just his own made-up texting language.
KD.
Now, everyone in our family uses KD. It’s kind of a replacement for good-bye. In fact, I think I’ve actually said it a few times.
“See you later, Mom.”
“KD.”
Don’t try to figure it out. It has no meaning. Just KD.
My husband’s initials are “KN” so sometimes when I text him “KD” he will text back “KN.”
Cause. Yeah.
So, there you go. Got it?
KK?
KD.