Moms Talk: Curse Words and Potty Mouth
This weekly column focuses on discussion. We'll have one topic or question, and we'll talk.
Swear words. Curse words. Potty mouth. Whatever you call it, language is always something parents watch around their children. So, how do you deal with swear words? Do you drop f-bombs around your teens? Does the occasional s-word that rhymes with pit pop out from time to time? Do you tell your kids not to say words like "dummy" or "stupid"? How do you deal with "bad" language around the kiddies? And, if they do pick up a word that is a little more colorful than you'd like, what do you do?
Let's talk about swear words!
Chime in on this question in the comments section. Have another question? E-mail it to Ferndale Patch Editor Terry.Parris@patch.com.
Ferndale Patch will dedicate a column each week on a discussion with moms and dads about anything, really. We're looking for questions to be asked and answered, advice seekers, advice givers, sharing solutions or experiences and asking for feedback — that's what we want. Anything you want to talk about, we will discuss in the comments section.
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Jesse Williams
4:12 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I don't completely avoid bad language in front of my kids, but my youngest son is definitely aware of what words he's not allowed to repeat and is very good at avoiding them.
Terry Parris Jr.
4:33 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
What happens if he doesn't avoid them? How does he know what words those are? Does he say them once and you tell him he shouldn't?
Jen Anesi
11:48 pm on Thursday, May 19, 2011
Soap, preferably Ivory. Amiright, Jesse?
He's a smart kid, and he knows which words are bad (and yells at us if we use them). I can't remember the last time he uttered a naughty word, despite the fact that both his parents have a tendency to swear like sailors. Do as I say, not as I do...
Thomas Gagne
8:16 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
About four years ago when our youngest was three, my neighbor Mike (and he'll confirm this) and his wife were over for dinner. Mike and I were out tending the grill in the cold with our coats on, drinking beers, and talking out-of-earshot of the spouses.
The youngest comes out on the deck and declares, "It's f***ing cold out here."
??!!??
I don't know what expression Mike had on his face but I felt my ears get HOT.
Not believing what I heard, I asked my son to repeat himself. "What did you say?"
"I said, 'It's f***ing cold out.'"
I still didn't believe such a word would escape his lips, so I had him come off the deck, onto the driveway, look right into my face, and asked him to repeat himself very s-l-o-w-l-y. He looked at me like I was deaf and declared clearly and slowly for all to hear...
"It's f * * * i n g c o l d o u t."
"I can hardly wait to see how you handle this," Mike said laughing his a** off.
I put on my meanest, most serious face, used my daddy-is-really-pi**ed-off big-voice and told the little guy, "we NEVER say the words f***, f***er, or f***ing. Got it?"
He ran inside scared, cried, and I haven't heard those words from him since.
Glad it was over, and while Mike was still laughing, he and I both agreed that the three-year old used the word properly in a sentence.
Terry Parris Jr.
8:25 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
These are such funny stories (there are a few on the Facebook, too). A serious subject... but so funny. It seems as if just laying it out there works.
Mike Shuler
10:58 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I can confirm that Tom's posting is an exact account of the events from that evening, which is one that I will never forget. I still get an occasional laugh from that memory when I see someone out in the cold without a coat!
Heather B
8:22 am on Thursday, May 19, 2011
Our 8 year-old has heard plenty of swear words. In fact she told someone a few years ago "I know all the bad words because I drive with my parents." She too dropped a f-bomb...someone asked what was wrong with her dad's truck "Oh I don't know, it's all f***ed up."
Other than that she's always been really good about just not using "adult" words. She's not allowed to use the words stupid or hate or words like idiot. If she slips up I just correct her and we move along. I'm more worried about derogatory terms and phrases she might hear and not understand rather than swear words.
@Tom-I laughed so hard at your story.