A couple of years ago, my oldest daughter (7yo at the time) stubbed her toe badly. She doesn’t have a bad or disobedient bone in her body, the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet.
As she was grimacing in pain, I told her that shouting a bad word after stubbing your toe was scientifically proven to make it hurt less. She was reluctant to do it in case she got in trouble, but I let her know it was okay and she wouldn’t get in trouble for it, say the worst word you know.
Eventually she gritted her teeth and said “God DAMMIT!” and we both laughed.
Little did I know her little sister (5yo at the time), the infamous ‘rebellious 2nd born’, was listening in.
Flash forward to last night. Daughter #2 (7 now) is getting ready for bed, and all I hear is “FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK”. I look at her incredulously, and she says “I stubbed my toe, so its okay to say ‘fuck’.”
I’m like, “I did say that, didn’t I?”
After some consideration I let her know “The “bad word when you stub your toe” is only a house rule, don’t do that at school or over at your friend’s house, okay? And maybe don’t use the F-word next time…”
“Okay!”
Just glad that mom didn’t overhear it!
TL;DR: I encouraged my sweet first-born to say a bad word after stubbing her toe, and she said a mild one. Two years later my spirited second-born stubbed her toe and dropped numerous F-Bombs because she thought it was okay.
Comments
“I fucking stubbed my fucking toe, fuckhead. You fucking said it was fucking OK to fucking swear if that happened.”
To be fair, screaming every cuss word you know does seem to help the pain hahahahah
You didn’t fuck up. You’ve taught her a good lesson on when “bad” words are totally fine. It’s only the context that matters.
You created a problem where none was! Why? Just to hear your child cuss. Did it make you feel better?
Just wait until one day those kids turn it around on you! 😂
Over the heads of them growing up, now about to be 17, 19,and 21 in July and August. I will let my kids occasionally. They know they can look at me questioningly while speaking about a story to ask if they can use a work and I will usually let them. Now the youngest gets on video games and screams out swear words and I have to get onto her and remind her that doesn’t have permission and will get grounded.
Omg this is pretty funny
I’m not a cusser but I’m also not bothered by my children hearing swear words. They’re just words and I’m not going to ask others to censor for my children. I have explained to my (also painfully well behaved) first born that some words might be upsetting for older people to hear from the mouth of a five year old and he seemed to get that. I’ve yet to hear him repeat anything.
But I also have that second born that is a bit of a firecracker so stand by on this parenting approach lol
These parents unknowingly taught their girls that a little profanity can make pain more bearable, now they need to emphasize context and appropriate usage in real-world scenarios.
Where did a 7 year old learn fuck from?
Just as effective to say “Ahhhh!!” or “OWWWW!” so… it’s kind of on you? Sorry if it’s a challenge, but what the heck.
When I was a kid my brothers and I were first forbidden to say “God Dammit” and then a few days later forbidden to say “Gosh darn it” or other things because, and I quote “God knows what a euphemism is.”
At the time I was so young I had no idea what a euphemism was and had to ask (parents laughed).
god dammit is mild compared to fuck? what?
I’m just here for the Prudy McPrudsters that are going to get offended by words
My 8 year old shouts “BARNACLES!” whenever something like this happens. Thanks SpongeBob 😂😂
Meh, my kid (at about 2.5-3 years old) asked for some chicken nuggets. I had to preheat the oven and then cook them (total of about 45 minutes). I’m not some philistine that microwaves that crap. He pops out of his room about 25 minutes after he asked me for chicken nuggets, comes into the living room and just says “where’s my fucking chicken nuggets?”
He had the context and the inflection correct…couldn’t really be made at him.
If she keeps it up she’ll have no more fucks to give by the time she’s an adult!