In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

maeby — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:16:26 GMT

my mom cursed like a sailor and i never said a single swear word until i was 20. She didn't even tell me NOT to. Just cuz you do it, doesn't mean your kid is.

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

aa — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:21:16 GMT

My kids are 8 and 10 now and I stress that the important part is to not use bad words to hurt another person. I'd be much less upset if one of them said the f-bomb when she skins her knee than if she calls someone a dummy. I don't think they curse yet, but they hear it at school. I was cursing like a sailor by the age of 10 though, so I don't know if I'd know. And I remember thinking my parents were unimaginably dorky because I'd never once heard either of them curse. (Even now they don't.) Good examples didn't rub off on me at all!

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

km — Wed, 28 May 2008 23:44:20 GMT

I speak freely in front of my children. I don't generally drop the f-bomb, but there are a multitude of other softer curse words that are frequently heard around here. (Hey, 6th generation New Yorker, I think colorful language is our birthright. Of course, living in Portland, now, our language does tend to stand out a little more.)

As far as the kids getting to use these words, the rule in our house is you can't curse until you have your drivers license.

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

Treespeed — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:09:40 GMT

Obviously Mrs. Bryant is a classy lady with the highest morals and I certainly know that I look to sports figure's gold digging spouses as examples of the best in parenting.

At least with that outfit there's no conflict between the inner and outer Mrs. Bryant.

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

cooper1178 — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:55:41 GMT

I think there is a difference between the f word being the most commonly used verb/noun/adjective in your vocabulary, and letting a few slip by in the heat of the moment. I'll admit I'm one heck of a potty mouth, I think it has something to do with being in advertising, or that my dad drives truck, but my daughter knows those are bad words that she doesn't have permission to use at anytime. And my mom was the same with me, do as I say, not as I do. I'm still uncomfortable when I slip one in front of her, probably more so than I am in front of my kid!!

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:18:10 GMT

Sarah - I LOVE YOU

-Rachael

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

Sarah — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:13:38 GMT

Common? Low class? Dumb? Woa there Cassie, get off your high horse. You're telling me you never curse?

I don't think anyone's condoning teaching a 3-year-old to curse, but even as someone who loves language (I use it to make a living as a writer/editor), when it's me and my husband I'll say "douche bag" over "contemptible" any old day!

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

Cassie — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:00:26 GMT

It is common and low class to curse at all. There are thousands of words in the English language that can be used in an emphatic manner. Only those with limited vocabularies, morons, resort to curse words because they "cain't thank of nuthin' else cause Ah'm so f-ing mad!" Yes, thinking. It is so difficult for so many. I tell my kids that cursing is for low class, dumb people who do not know any other words to use.

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

liberal does not mean lax — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:51:05 GMT

I guess it depends if you use four letter words around other adults. I don't, at least not very often. I tend to think they make the speaker ugly. I don't want my kids to be ugly.

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

Amy — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:14:03 GMT

I've replaced the four letter word that starts with F with the word "narg" in my vocabulary. It's a little more forceful than "fluff" or something, and can be adapted to be any part of speech (narger, narging, narghead, nargface, narged, etc.). It works for me.

Amy @ prettybabies.blogspot.com

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

Don Mills Diva — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:11:49 GMT

I'm so probably in the minority but I don't like it when parents curse a lot in front of their kids. I don't buy that "we need bigger stronger words." It's not classy and it teaches kids to rely on profanities to express themselves - I mean I swear too but I wish I didn't because there's nothing effective about the f word anymore - I think it's ubiquitous and it's a crutch...

re: In Defense of Potty-Mouth Mamas

Ron — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:56:47 GMT

I like what my sister tells her kids after she lets a few fly... that grown ups, because we're bigger, need stronger words to express what they're feeling and kids don't need those words yet...and she's a pastor's wife!

Of course it is pretty funny when my 6 year old yells that he's "pissed off" at me for making him share a toy with his little brother. Despite stiffled giggles while facing away from him, I still gently correct him, knowing he learned it from his Irish-bred parents...and grandparents.