Mommy Dearest,
I am at a loss for words after a playdate at the park with a few of my two-year-old son's friends and their families. One set of parents used four-letter words so frequently and freely that a child (not their own) started repeating one of the words, even screaming it, for attention. The cursing couple thought it was funny. I told them that my husband and I try to curb the use of swearing in our home and don't focus on it if we do slip up so our kids don't pick up the poor language choice. The mom and dad still didn't get the hint and kept using profanity in front of the children. How would you have handled the situation?
– Clean-Mouthed Mommy
To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.
Clean-Mouthed Mommy,
The rules you set in your own home cannot be forced on others when you leave your abode. But, it's certainly appropriate to politely ask fellow parents to curtail their foul language in your children's presence and explain the reasons behind your request. If your friends continue to curse, you might want to limit your time with them to adult only outings.
—Mommy Dearest
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Ugh. Too many parents like this nowadays. Why don't some people get over wanting their kids to like them and be a freaking parent for crying out loud?
1those parents are obviously trashy
2who would purposely swear in front of a kid and think it's funny when the kid does the same?
Dude! If you can't control your own child's vocabulary choice, don't get on my case for swearing on front of them!
3Each to his own: one person's swear is another's exclamation point.
what I want to know is when did casual cursing become socially acceptable?
4I have had people curse in front of my niece and usually tap them on the shoulder and say quietly "could you not cuss around my niece" and they usually say sorry and stop. Most people dont realize they are doing it anymore.
5probably just leave with an excuse....
6You have to tell people directly because frequent f-bomb users may not even realize it.
7I have a terrible potty-mouth (which I am seriously trying to curb!) and once used the f-word in front of my precocious neice, who of course started saying it. I found it absolutley mortifying and, needless to say, my brother was NOT impressed.
I cannot believe a parent would find it funny that someone else's child picked up on the profanity and started using it.
I think I would limit my child's time around these people. If they think this is funny, I doubt they'll be overly concerned about other things that might be considered important.
8I don't get what's wrong with swearing. I never have, and I don't think I ever will. I swear a lot, but only in company that doesn't mind, it's a switch I can turn on and off.
I intend to swear around my children as much as my parents swore around me. I wish my kids could grow up in a world where people didn't get so hot-headed about a few air waves hitting their eardrum without a negative intention behind it. But I intend for my children to know a plethora of swear words by the time they get to school, but to know when they are appropreate (so they have a little secret).
9*and I want my kids to be used to swearing so they don't take offence at it, so later in life they can behave better around people who swear profusely when angry... so that the words don't trigger irrational anger in them.
If that makes sense.
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