Curses; November 27 2024

The trouble with raising a precocious kid is that she’s good at sounding out the spelling of words, which is how she’s figured out how to spell all her favourite swear words.

My opinion might be controversial here, but the thing about her swearing is… I don’t really mind that she curses. I consistently fail at trying not to laugh when she does it. It’s always context appropriate swearing! It’s funny!

So long as she keeps it venue-appropriate, I think it’s fine. I don’t want her swearing at people, either, but she’s never done that so far. I fully expect pearl-clutching the first time she curses in public, which is liable to happen if and when she drops something… But, maybe my attitude is more in line with convention than I think.

I like to imagine we’re less uptight about the language kids use. I think part of treating your child like a person is teaching them when and where they can use curses, why slurs are considered different and should never be said, and how to avoid hurting people with your words – swears or otherwise.

Because it’s not okay to lash out at others, but it’s objectively funny when your kid makes a pattern out of the words ‘ass fuck shit’ for the sake of it. I don’t make the rules.