Abstract
This article explores the humorous yet challenging experience of dealing with a child’s frequent use of profanity, emphasizing the importance of context and moderation in language.
As a parent, I must confess that there’s something undeniably amusing about hearing young children swear. The first time my son let loose with a few choice words, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Despite knowing that my reaction isn’t ideal, I found it nearly impossible to suppress my amusement. And yes, this includes moments when he’s the one swearing. While I often manage to step out of his earshot before cracking up, it doesn’t always happen.
In my view, swearing is simply a form of expression. As someone who works with language, I recognize that there are truly harmful words—racial slurs, for instance—but I can’t wrap my head around why terms like “damn” or “hell” carry such stigma. They are just words, after all.
Words can convey powerful meanings, yet swear words are often some of the most adaptable in our language. My goal is to teach my son the significance of context when using these terms, and he’s quite adept at this—albeit a bit too proficient for my liking. His go-to expression? “What the hell?” While I understand that it’s relatively mild compared to other expletives, the frequency with which he uses it is what drives me to distraction.
Unlike me, who might deploy a well-placed “damn” and move on, he seems to treat swearing like a competition: “How many times can I say it in five minutes?” For those keeping score, I’ve found that three is my limit before I have to intervene. “Seriously? If you say that again, I’m going to scream!” I threaten, and he usually stops—at least temporarily. But, about 20 minutes later, here we go again. What the actual hell? It feels like he does it just to push my buttons.
Sometimes I wish he’d diversify his vocabulary a bit. Even though I have no qualms about dropping an f-bomb when the situation calls for it, he seemingly reserves his swearing for “What the hell?” There was that one time we missed the bus, and I exclaimed “AW, SHIT!” only to hear him respond with, “Shit what, Mommy?” After I chuckled—because, let’s be real, it’s hard not to—I explained my frustration. But what followed was an avalanche of “What the hells” instead of my preferred exclamations.
As irritating as it can be, I have to give him credit: he uses the phrase with impeccable timing. He might drop something and exclaim, “What the hell?” or respond to an unexpected situation with the same phrase. Even when he’s annoyed with a friend, it inevitably comes out, complete with an eye roll. His delivery is so natural that often, people don’t even realize he’s swearing. It’s become as routine for him as saying “Mommy,” and perhaps even more common than “please.”
Of course, when I notice he’s getting a bit too enthusiastic with his swearing, I step in. I encourage him to dial it back and try using different phrases for a while. Surprisingly, he’s receptive to this guidance. He might refrain from using it for a couple of weeks, only to mutter “What the hell?” to himself later, which makes me chuckle.
Ultimately, swearing is all about context. If he were to roam around repeating harsher words, I would be much more concerned. Thankfully, he hasn’t crossed that line yet. I remind him that while it’s okay to express himself around me, he should keep it in check elsewhere. He seems to do a decent job of this—at least, I’ve never received any complaints. Perhaps others just find it as humorous as I do.
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In summary, managing my child’s frequent swearing presents both comedic moments and parenting challenges. While I find amusement in his word choices, it’s crucial to teach him about context and moderation in language use.
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