Swearing

by POPSUGAR Moms

Out of the mouths of babes . . . As parents, we know that anything that's uttered within earshot of our kids is fair game for repetition. And while eliminating all of those four-letter favorites is a no-brainer, there are plenty of others that can be just as damaging. Here, the 10 words we suggest that you ban from your vocabulary in front of your kids.

1. Hate: You might be talking about rush hour traffic, a line at the grocery store, or a bad commercial on TV. But when it's used to talk about a classmate, teacher, or birthday gift, "hate" can be terribly hurtful.
2. Stupid: There's not much that's less appreciated than being called "stupid," and this is one that lil ones tend to enjoy repeating . . . again and again and again.
3. Retard: A word that's so offensive, there's an entire website devoted to banishing it. If you haven't already done so, you should get on board and eliminate the R-word from your adult vocabulary as well.
4. Gay: Unless your child is old enough to have a conversation about homosexuality, chances are, the word "gay" is going to be misused in a potentially hurtful (not to mention, incorrect) manner.
5. Loser: With bullying at the forefront of most parents' minds, putting down someone's self-esteem is something that you, and your kids, should never be a part of.
6. Dumb: See above.
7. No: We know you're not actually going to eliminate the word "no" from your repertoire. But try to limit its frequency. It seems to roll off the tips of toddlers' tongues way too easily.
8. Shut up: Make this a forbidden phrase now to avoid its overuse later. Tweens tend to enjoy overusing it at times when it doesn't even really make sense (think: "He asked her out?! Shut up!").
9. God (as in "Oh my God!"): If religion is present in your home, the word "God" will be, too. However, try not to use it as an exclamation of excitement or surprise. Even if "Oh my God!" doesn't bother you personally, you never know when it will come off offensive to someone else.
10. Bad: Like "no," it's one that's inevitably going to come up, but shouldn't be used excessively. Being told that you're "bad" repeatedly can be totally demoralizing for a child (or anyone, for that matter).

by Rebecca M Gruber

Rules are meant to be broken, but what's the punishment if it's mama that breaks them? Every home has its own set of rules and appropriate disciplinary action if they are broken, but parents are often the ones who misbehave. A neighbor of mine routinely finds herself buying her tots new Wii games after filling their family swear jar with her own money, rather than her kids', and another acquaintance recently lamented that her kids lashed out at her after she yelled at them because of their no-screaming rule at home.

As parents, we often give up our vices to help teach our children to be better people, but which family rules do you find yourself defying on a regular basis?

by POPSUGAR Moms

Evenflo uses potty mouth to sell its latest car seat. The company is going minivan with its new Savvy Parent viral video that was made in a similar vein to Toyota's much talked about swagger wagon campaign. While the car manufacturer used humor and cool factor to rebrand a family vehicle, Evenflo tackles swearing to direct attention to the Momentum 65 convertible seat. The clip includes mentions of a five-point safety harness coupled with f-bombs. And, it seems the way to a parent's purchasing power is through his or her Facebook page. Videos are often shared and spread rapidly on social networking sites. As a parent, do you buy into this type of advertising strategy?

by POPSUGAR Moms

When did cursing go from four letter words and those with a token five to half of the dictionary? Words like "crap" and "sucks" always teetered on the thin line between appropriate language and swearing for some, but now it seems that everything is a bad word. "Oh, my gosh," "heck," and "whatever" are off limits in lots of households as are "stupid," "dumb," and "butt."

It's understandable that parents (who may be curtailing their own language) prefer that their children grow up using certain words over others but have moms and dads gone too far categorizing "darn" with "&$#%"? What mainstream words do you deem inappropriate for your kiddos? Or, which off-limits words do you find ridiculous?

by POPSUGAR Moms

When a child first curses, it's how parents handle it that makes all the difference — some are shocked while others choose overlook the slippage. There are even moms and dads that allow their kiddos to express themselves with four-letter bombs in certain circumstances.

While Jennifer Connelly, mom to Kai, 12, and Stellan, 6, sat down with Jimmy Kimmel last night, she tells him that she is adamant about making sure her kids are well-disciplined and polite, but that she has given in to use of curse words in certain contexts. According to the actress, words that are considered "forbidden" in most homes are tolerable in hers, as long as they are not directed at an individual and they are not used in public forums. Do you have different sets of rules for inside and outside the home?

by babysugar

Barnacles! Fiddlesticks! Boiling engines! A new study revealed that cursing helps relieve pain. Swearing mamas will be elated to know their four-letter vocabularies are good for something other than being told to curtail her language, but they may still might want to shield wee ears from replicating their sailor mouths. Instead of screaming something that rhymes with "hit," kids often learn other phrases like "boiling engines" from their beloved cartoons. Perhaps stomping their feet whilst yelling "Barnacles!" is good for their soul, too. What are your tot's favorite "curse words"?

by POPSUGAR Fitness

I think most of us have a go-to swear word. The term you mutter, shout, or scream when you stub your toe in the middle of the night. It turns out that swearing might be a viable form of pain relief. In a British study that seems like a hybrid of interrogation techniques and slumber party antics, college students were asked to immerse a hand into cold water. They were timed to see how long they could endure the freezing water. To help focus mentally, the students were allowed to chant either a neutral mantra or repeat a swear word over and over again. When cursing, the students were on average able to endure the pain of the cold water for 40 seconds longer and said they felt less pain.

To learn why, just read more

by POPSUGAR Moms

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