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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJMZDBEL8Tg&w=560&h=315]
This weekend, Bear learned a new word. Except it wasn’t fudge.
It was thee word. The F-dash-dash-dash.
I wasn’t around when he said it. In fact, I was only a few feet away. He said it front of our close friends and Maks. When they told me he said it, I was a little shocked. You see, despite the use of profanity on here, we really don’t speak that much of it in our home (shocking, right?) and if we happen to curse, we tend to be a bit more creative with it, kinda like this:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEJJUGJZxpU&w=420&h=315]
While I had a good chuckle or two and was rather impressed at my son’s great timing with it (after all, he said it during appropriate moments), I had to ask myself a big question:
Is it time to teach him what bad words are?
I’m not going to type them but take a look at this video here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbZhpf3sQxQ&w=420&h=315]
See? Those words.
Lately, however, more words have been added to that. The new F-word (a derogatory word for gays). The N-word (I shouldn’t have to explain what that means). But then there are more words that are constantly added.
And what about words that aren’t full of cursing, but are derogatory in other forms?
It’s that thing about being a parent. It’s not something you think about when you’re about to give birth or when you’re picking out cute little onesies. I most certainly didn’t think about as I ordered Bear some cargo pants from The Children’s Place over the weekend. But now, this is something I need to be somewhat concerned with.
Somewhat?
Bear’s in preschool, which means he’s going to pick up things from there. He’s already started to talk more and has shown in strong interest in sharing. So, other than germs and chicken pox, it is inevitable he’ll pick up a swear word or two. And let’s be real, I think all of us learned how to swear from our friends at school.
I know I did.
So, what is a parent to do in this case? Well, we are trying to tell him to say fudge instead. It’s not working but repetition is key here. Maybe if he hears it enough, he’ll know to say fudge. And what will happen when he goes back to school? Well, we’ll have to see. I hope he doesn’t say it at school and I’m not sure if I actually want to warn his teachers about his new word quite yet. I’m really hoping he grows out of it sooner than later.
Until then, we just have to be mindful of what we say and what he hears. He’s officially at the age where he repeats everything we say and sometimes what we do. It’s fun but oooh…it’s like looking a mirror.
How did you handle swear words and toddlers?
