now when i was a kid ‘crap’ was a swear word, but then bart simpson used it and all of a sudden it became ok. with kids watching more and more adult films and society getting less and less bothered by casual swearing its difficult to shield kids from offensive language…

but in the age of relative innocence, what swear words or substitutes do your kids use?

i still can’t bring myself to swear in front of my parents despite them always having sworn in front of me, respect thing i suppose.

Fart seems to be Ok now too having heard it used on programmes the kids watch.

Currently my kids don’t even use an alternative, they’re 6 and 9, however they have let the odd words out they’ve soon been corrected though. Innocently I might add, I suspect my eldest swears a bit in presence of her friends though.

**** ***

It’s all about context and proper usage. As a parent the lesson I want to teach my kids is not “don’t swear” but rather when one might swear. Language that is acceptable between kids in the playground is different to what would be acceptable in the home or, in later life,job interviews etc.

None…within earshot of an adult anyway.

None, really – although they use the watered down versions of (Spanish) swear words, the Spanish equivalents of “sugar”, “fudge” etc. I don’t doubt that they use the fully-caffeinated versions when I’m not around – I certainly do when they’re not there 🙂

(Which is kind of the point, really: some language is acceptable in some situations, and not in others.)

I’m ashamed to say that I swear in front of both my mother and my kids 😳

It’s a bit difficult to then expect them not to swear although living in a country where swearing in English is acceptable in almost any circumstances, I have become a little immune to it.

Back to blighty this evening so I’d better put a lid on it!

Just teach them to use language properly, swearing is just a construct of anglicised religion.

None…within earshot of an adult anyway.

This

Just teach them to use language properly, swearing is just a construct of anglicised religion.

Not really, afaik most countries have swearing.

Entirely about context, as swearing should be. Adjusting language to suit various social contexts is perfectly natural, we all do it.

Completely comfortable with my own assumption my kids give as good as the rest on the playground, but they have been brought up to know when it is and isn’t ok. It’s a respect thing primarily, swearing is perfectly fine when used in the correct context with the right audience.

I back onto a high school field, working from home, the language from girls and boys (say 12 upwards) truly shocked me when I first moved in (and I was shocked that I was shocked!), I very nearly complained about it, but now just accept it, they probably don’t even realise residents can hear them.

However, they also swear a great deal during PE lessons with teachers present. I don’t think that’s acceptable and teaches nothing about how and when to adjust you’re language/behaviour. Which I feel in turn reinforces a general lack of respect/consideration of others.

We have had the odd slip up at home, but it just gets laughed off, we all know we all swear, but no need for it in the home.

If your missus regularly uses a particular word, teach them that then raise your eyebrows at her when they say it.

Fart was a swear word when I was a kid, now all the kids TV programmes say fart (yes ALL of them).

My boy hears a fair bit of swearing (usually from the music in my car (ooh, those gangster rappers!)), I once told him it was ok to hear it but not repeat it. Seems to have worked.

Not really, afaik most countries have swearing.

Nope, most languages don’t traditionally have certain words that are deamed offensive when used out of context, although with the international rise of English over the past century or so, many have adapted to the concept.

Just teach them to use language properly

This. Swearing is just a bad habit, lazy use of language, displays a lack of self-control and an inability to express yourself intelligently 😀

I don’t understand why you’d teach a child it’s ok to swear for any reason. Just because “everyone does it” or it’s become “normal” isn’t an excuse. It’s exactly this lax attitude that’s allowed it to become “normal”.

No need to dumb down your kids to everyone else’s level.

In our house, this also applies to referring to people/things as ‘idiots’ or ‘stupid’, or telling people to ‘shut up’.

My wife moderated her language when driving after our then 2 year old called her

[swear filter avoidance]

effing winker

[/swear filter avoidance]

at volume, in the queue at Homebase when she wouldn’t buy him some chocolate.

Mostly our children know swear words but don;t use them in front of us. Although my son’s now 16 and seems to have reverted to his two year old self both in profanity usage and attitude.

Actually it is also a way of relieving stress and can reduce pain! Of course, this only works if it used occasionally and isn’t the norm.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G5F8ObYgjI[/video]

What’s acceptable? “Honking horns” and “bumping bumpers”.

Like all swear words it context

If they said it to a teacher we would have words
If they crashed their bike and swore we would not

I dont object to swearing unless you are incapable of finishing the **** sentence without **** randomaly **** sweraing

Swearing is just a bad habit, lazy use of language, displays a lack of self-control and an inability to express yourself intelligently

Troll??

You may not like the use but what exactly compares to swearing ?
Oh flip
Oh sugar

They lack impact

If you wish to ignore better words to convey your feelings that your choice but dont pretend it makes you brighter you dumb **** 😉

joao3v16 – wow. to be perfect must be such a chore.

when I wasn’t an office drone and used to work on-site ALL language was littered with swear words, there was one guy who’s adjectives were about 90% f-word. no exaggeration.
my Dad worked in this environment all his life, yet would never say the f-word despite using other profanity. maybe it was ridiculous over-use that made it unacceptable rather than making it the norm.

I was once camping at a beer festival and we overheard a conversation outside the tent. The lad spoke for a good couple of minutes and I swear every other word was the very rude lady part word or the pretty rude intercourse word. So much so that we had absolutely no idea what the point of his charming little soliloquy was..

This. Swearing is just a bad habit, lazy use of language, displays a lack of self-control and an inability to express yourself intelligently

******.

Fart was a swear word when I was a kid..

Really? Blimey. I don’t think I’ve ever considered it offensive (37yo).
I’m quite happy for my 2 year old to say it.

In fact, it is actively encouraged thusly:

Me: “Was that a poo or just a fart fart?”
Her: “Jus’a fart fart daddy.”

Me: *phew*

I do struggle a bit with the sweary stuff though. I reckon “crap” and “damn” are perfectly acceptable to use in front of young kids. The missus strongly disagrees.

Our lil’uns favourite exclamation of displeasure is “Oh bother!” which makes her sound like a character from The Dandy.

One of lifes little pleasures is hearing a woman who would not normally swear do so just at that moment…… 😆

Jamie: ******.

did you have to edit your post to get the *’s up – it wasn’t what I saw last time I looked 😉

@wwaswas

I was expecting it to be censored. Learn something every day.

If it’s not in the swear filter it must be OK 😉

Swearing is just a bad habit, lazy use of language, displays a lack of self-control and an inability to express yourself intelligently

Bollocks! Swearing can be used to succinctly articulate meanings that could not otherwise be so eloquently expressed.

Perfectly articulate and intelligent gents such as Shakespeare and Churchill used swearing to make a point.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooarT3cn8_o[/video]

Swearing can be used to succinctly articulate meanings that could not otherwise be so eloquently expressed.

To paraphrase Billy Connolly,

“If anyone can give me an alternative to f— off, I’ll gladly use it. It certainly isn’t ‘go away’.”

jings crivens help ma boab

Another well-known ineloquent thicko with the “inability to express yourself intelligently”:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_osQvkeNRM[/video]

😀

think that derek and clive covered this a while ago……

Tits, winkle and vibraphone for the ‘kiddies’, surely?

Quite like ‘Go and piss up a rope, f word – stick’.
Emergencies only of course.

Once, my brother mentioned a ‘Bloody Mary’, and I said, “AAAH, THAT’S SWEARING!”, and he said, “No, it’s allowed, because it’s the name of something”, and I said, “Can I say ‘bloody ostrich?'” and he said, “AAAAH, THAT’S SWEARING, I’M TELLING DAD!”

My brother was a *&$#*!

When I was eight, my prep school headmaster told me something that has stuck with me forever. I shall risk a ban by repeating it!

He said that if one really, really wanted to swear, one should simply intone….

“Oh, FUH……..crying out loud!”

MSP – Member

Just teach them to use language properly, swearing is just a construct of anglicised religion.

Wrong.

Are you a linguist? Historian? Or just making stuff up, perhaps?

Most swearwords in the English language are derived from post-Conquest Saxon use. Words such as ‘shit’ and ‘piss’ were simply Anglo-Saxon verbs denoting respective forms a evacuation. The origins of the ‘F’ word, meanwhile, are widely disputed.

Religion has nothing to do with it.

And that’s just English.

most languages don’t traditionally have certain words that are deamed offensive when used out of contex

Spanish does, German does, French does, Italian does, Arabic does… I admit I’ve no idea what a Chinese or Swahili speaking labourer says when he smacks his thumb with a hammer, but I doubt it’s acceptable in polite company.

Actually, now I have an idea… God I love the internet: Swahili swear words.