I don't think anyone would ever describe me as rebellious. Never. No one. I am nearly as square, boring, bland, vanilla, earnest, conscientious, as they come. Put a people pleasing cherry on top of this stunning descriptive sundae and you'll see my junior high and high school years flash before you. I have never smoked...anything. I didn't drink until I was 21. By then I was a pretty dedicated athlete and in turn my real drinking (ha, ha) didn't start up until seminary. I can count on one hand how many times anyone would have even thought I might be intoxicated. BORING...I know.
So I make up for it with my colorful language. Again, this really took off in seminary. I blame it on a certain classmate, now senior pastor who can/could drop the 'f' bomb like sailor. I think my casual use of many swear words still startles people. Good...something about me should.
But since having kids, I have tried to calm it down a bit. I've done pretty well. I still realize I say plenty of things I don't want my kids to say...BB's favorite, "What the heck." has made me even more aware of this.
So, my friends...a bit of conversational homework.
Head over to The Mommy Revolution and tell me what you think of this conversation. It is a conversation over what words are 'ok' in your house. Or if you don't have little people in your house on a regular basis, what is your impression of a kid's language. When you hear a wee one saying he has to piss...what's your reaction? (beside laughing)
Stupid is on my list of 'no-no's'. As is heck, shut up, butt, crap, piss...and all the obvious ones. My kids are 4 and 1.10 months...so still pretty young to understand nuance.
8 comments:
When I hear I little one saying he has to piss I assume that some adult in the house says it too. I have three children (11, 9, 5) and really have a lot of words on the no-no list. Stupid (although I have called things stupid - like the cover on my sandbox - and have been called on the carpet by my kids), heck, crap, shut up (have used on my 5 year old and am embarassed to admit - if you met him, you might forgive me), butt, crap, OMG, retarded, just to name a few. I don't think that kids should use such language - even though I do. I am all about the double standard - do as I say, not as I do. :) Don't really agree with the comments on The Revolution. Do have an interesting situation in my house with my 11 year old whose friends "make up" words to replace swear words. My favorite at the moment is "fork"!! I actually like using it better than the original f-bomb. ;)
Oh, I forgot to add that even though I use such langauge, I don't in front of my kids. Gotta love school - and especially recess for teaching moments!!
Ash started saying OMG after ONE afternoon playing with a neighbor boy that came to visit. We had a talk about using God's name in vain, etc.
Do you know how many times they say OMG on the radio? Including on NPR? I now have the language police (ages 3 and 4) yelling, "MOM! They said OMG!" They seem to be able to detect this from as much as a mile away. I have missed the vital parts of many an interesting interview or report this way, as I now click off the radio if the "people that don't know God say those bad words." :)
We also don't say stupid, butt, etc. But, I have to admit that at the end of certain impossible days, there's nothing like letting off steam with a forceful word or two. In my room. With the door closed. :)
Basically, if it's crass or rude, it doesn't belong in our house. Now, this is coming from a grown woman who's STILL afraid to say "bad words" in front of her parents, so let that color it. LOL! Definately words like: fart, shut up, stupid, crap, etc. She also isn't allowed to use fat and skinny because they've been given negative context through media and such. (She uses plump and lean which cracks me up!). I'm sure she's heard true swear words but doesn't know what they are since we call no attention to them if we hear them out and about. She's a weird kid though and will actually say, "I heard a word and don't know if it's crass."
I was suprised by the comments on the other blog...seems odd to me that people wouldn't want to instill manners.
Part of my double standard with language is, honestly, appearances. After all language has meaning because we a) give it and b) understand what the other is saying. So, I wonder about the made up swear words. My husband did this...as a kid Shazam was the 's' word. So, if the intent is there, isn't that the power? The 's' word only holds power because we believe it to mean...or others hear it to mean...
Part of my "not in our house/at your age" view is because of how others will hear my kids. I don't want them to walk around offending others...and then on top of it denigrating, belittling and plain old being mean to, them either.
on this again: OMG. I *know* the sin using this phrase, I *know* 95% of the people who use it do it out of habit and with no regard for God...hence the sin and offense for those in faith communities. BUT, I use this...again, partly out of habit BUT mostly out of a true intent to draw God in to my shock or disbelief. Seriously, it is often a prayer or a connection with God for me...BUT I know no one hears it that way, so I try very hard to break my habit (it is new phrase...last 3-5 years)
Funny - my language cleared up after marrying your brother :-) I have less to cleanse from my vocab now that we are about to have two kids running around, so thank you again, Rob :-) (I still have quite an aresenal that is just my own behind closed doors....) However, my taste in music is unfortunately influencing Eva already....yikes....may have to start watching the lyrics a little more closely soon during our music "jams"- or just have her listen to the new version of Hallelujah by JT :-) http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978011802&grpId=3659174697243100&nav=Groupspace
My brother cleaned up your language?
Post a Comment