Pickle juice and cheese weasels
We were having a contest on who could think up the silliest word to show frustration, such as “Oh, pickle juice!” Her reply: “Oh, cheese weasels!” “Oh, snap!” Her reply: “Oh, woodshed tools!” And it got progressively sillier from there.
I feel so lucky that my almost four year old daughter has never yet heard a real curse word. We came close to it today as we played at a park near our home that became suddenly inundated by a charter bus full of teens on a school trip. The word beginning with “S” flew through the air and I instinctively covered my daughter’s ears. I then told her that since the park was now so full, we should probably head back home and cool off with some juice. When hearing a bad word brings up questions, we will address it but, at three, she’s a bit too young to understand some of this.
Positive, encouraging words change you, and those around you. Negative, angry words change you, and those around you.
She knows that I don’t like certain words said, and she knows the reason I don’t like them. Words such as “stupid” or “wimp” she has heard from a story book with a nice story line about a young girl a bit afraid of spending the night at a friend’s house for the first time. To get around this rule of not saying certain inappropriate words, she has recently taken up spelling. “Mama, I’m going to spell a word…see if you can tell me what it is! W-I-M-P”, says this precocious 3 year old. How does she know how to spell a word she’s seen maybe twice? She spells it because she wants to hear me say it…because it’s on the “no-no” list.
How do you handle the line between good words, and bad words? How do you handle situations in public settings in which words you don’t approve of are being used around your child?
Brenda Schultz lives in Milton. She is a stay at home mom of a 3-year-old, formerly a public school teacher. She cares for other children part-time, and teaches beginning piano. Brenda is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. Her opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
May 14, 2011 at 12:43 p.m.
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I would have handled it the same way you did. Some people think it's cute when their children swear. I think it's disrespectful. When words that our family chooses not to use, like fart, for example, we explain that some people use different words. We also explained that if you don't know what a word means, then you shouldn't use it.
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