Main Topic: Cussing in front of your kids: yay or nay?
Subtopic: Valentine’s messages and the use of words for good or evil.
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and the GenXer in Kasie wants to reject the Hallmark Holiday on principle.
- According to this link science says it’s perfectly okay to swear in front of children.
- And this article that argues it’s time to get the eff over it already, we can all be caring and loving and still let off some profanity now and then.
- This article gives us stages of cussing. Let’s discuss:
- Adorable little shits — babies don’t know what’s going on. Score: A
- Foul-mouthed mimics — toddlers repeat what you say, sometimes with hilarious mispronunciations and uses. Score: B+
- Shocked sweary sponges — elementary school kids have a complicated relationship with swearing because they know it’s not supposed to be done by them. Or you. Score: B-
- Evolving curse machines — as they grow toward teen hood, they may use swearing on the sly to gain street cred with their friends but are likely to hide the habit from you. Score B.
- Luck pushing years — as tweens and pre-teens, you’ll see them try to see what they can get away with. It’s harder to reprimand when they know you do it. So should you just let them? Score: C
- All bets are off — as teens, they’re likely to aim those cuss words right at you. So isn’t it better to teach them who the real target is? The government. Duh. Score: A.
We get real about what others think of us and how that changes or influences our behavior. We talk about being authentic and wearing a mask and how common that “mask” is in Southern society. We talk about whether not our “mask” person is who we really are.
It gets deep.
Next week: “Let Grandma Starve: Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme”
Parenting Porcupines 