Swearing in front of children

I hate to hear it anytime by anybody. I now there are times when your cat fish have to suffer, my dads phrase when things got bad, but there’s a time and place. I once dropped a lasagna on the floor, I still get told how funny I looked jumping up and down on the spot shouting, oh,oh,oh,oh,oh, my . It’s the worst I could think of with a table of under 10s waiting for dinner.

I agree Nannykay.

It often seems that swear words are the ones that are picked up most easily by children!

When I married my dh 13 years ago his 3 DSs were still at home with him. It was quite an experience to heartburn watching a football game. Now they are all married with their own children and watching a football match is still colourful. Thankfully the children all know that these are words they do not say and that daddy is naughty.

Oops. Heartburn = hear them.
Actually heartburn is quite appropriate.

Well - I find it hard to get to worked up about this. Hopefully he said "0ops! - sorry! Children quickly work out when to say what and with whom.

I dislike swearing and (almost) never swear. My parents never swore, or certainly not in front of us.

In my teens I had a holiday job in a bonded warehouse, staffed mostly by women who worked on a conveyor belt bottling whisky.

It was a very boring job and they chatted all the time. I was amazed at the extent of the swearing. Some not only put a swear word into every sentence, but actually into the middle of words (as in "abso**** ing- lutely ")!!

I don't agree with using obscene language in front if children either. I'm not sure though which words you feel are obscene lucygran.
I understand how things are said in the heat of the moment but I think parents should be aware what is acceptable.

varian It was the same in the clothing industry. It was hard not to pick up the habit. I once found myself thinking to myself "now what shall I cook for *ing dinner!" Luckily I managed not to take the habit home.

I think it is dreadful and really not acceptable in front of children. Obscenities were never used in my home. It is difficult to protect GC from hearing it in the street so when they look shocked I tell them it is because the person is ignorant and don't know how to use proper sentences.

Swearing in front of children is bad enough, but swearing at them, as I heard last week is even worse. I was moving my DD out of her flat, all to the accompaniment of her downstairs neighbour ( windows open) bellowing 'You do my f**king head in!* and 'for f**k's sake, sit in the f**king chair'. This to a sobbing two year old. Now, we have all been hot and hormonal, but that was disgusting.

The trouble is the more someone uses swear words the more it becomes the normal in their day to day language.

Oh dear, that does sound like abuse GillT57

I confess to having used a naughty word in the car the other week after a 'close shave' and then remembered there were two DGC in the back of the car

It wasn't 'oh poo' btw.

I have nothing at all against swearing (I swear myself at times), but NEVER in front of any child or elderly person. When my grandchildren are around, we say things such as "Fiddle it" or "Flump to it"

Teach your children not to use bad language and set an example yourself, swearing by adults gives the kids a licence to do the same so don't allow it and that includes other kids as well as your own.

I would never want to hear any "swearing" of any kind in front of children (or anyone else for that matter). It just isn't necessary, sets a very poor example, and sounds awful.

Hmmm....and yet another good reason NOT to watch football!

I always tried not to swear in front of my children or my parents. I suspect that the shock content of many words has diminished so far as general society is concerned.
Some of the young parents in our circle do cuss, but never in anger and never at the children. They use words when describing an amusing or irritating event in their day, using f*g but never anger. Then, the offender will look at me, apologise and continue their entertaining story.

I was, yet again, hanging around for ages waiting for DS who wanted a lift home from school. He must have been about 14. He eventually turned up having been roaming round the shops with one of his friends. He started to tell me where he'd been and I flung the door open and said "Shut up and get in the **ing car!" He and friend were stunned into silence and I still hear about it 25 years later.

Oh Deedaa, glorious use of the * word! Of course it only had power because you hadn't used it before.

I'm sure it wasn't the first or last time the children would have heard those words. The younger generation don't have the same shockability about swearing as our generation did. My DS uses words like that at times in front of his children and I've never heard them say them. They'll be fine. No need to be shocked.

very reassuring stella1949. I agree with you so I would find your comments reassuring.

What age? By the time they’re at secondary school they’re all using them anyway.

I don’t think they’re as shocked by words these days and most kids work out the correct audience for swear words.

I don’t like young children being sworn at by adults, but otherwise can’t get worked up about it tbh.

Unfortunately bad language is heard everywhere these days, especially schools ... the important thing is bringing our kids up to know that it’s unacceptable and say how awful it sounds. I had to explain to one GS after stubbing my toe badly .... that’s the only time you are allowed to swear !! ?

Shocked? No, but, very very sad.