the s@#$ word
Yesterday while we were driving in our car my son asked me, “Mama, do you know the “s” word?”
Uh yeah, I know the “s” word. I’ve been editing myself since you were born so you didn’t learn the “s” word from me.
I had a feel this would be coming. My friend’s son came home knowing the “f” word a couple of weeks ago. I had to tease because her son’s school is the high achieving lily white school, where mine draws from a more diverse population. And my son hadn’t learned the “f” or “s” word. Until now.
“Yes I know the ’s’ word,” I answered. Do I really have to have this talk? Here it goes - let’s find out what he knows.
“Why don’t you whisper the ’s’ word to me.”
“Are you sure I won’t get in trouble?”
“Yes.”
“Okay —stupid”, he whispers.
Phew - I’m absolutely relieved.
Then he wants to know why there are bad words in the first place. Who invented them? Ummm - good question.
“Why do you think there are bad words?” When I don’t have an answer, I turn the question back to him (good strategy for when I’m stumped - which seems to happen more and more).
“Probably to just be naughty,” he answers after thinking about it for awhile.
Good enough for me. Sooner or later he’ll be coming home with the real “s” and “f” word and a little bit of his innocence will slip away. I still don’t know what I’ll say - any ideas out there?
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My kid isn’t even talking yet, but uumm I guess…
“Bad words were created to express really strong emotions, but I would rather you use other words if you’re upset.” - something like that? Of course then he’ll ask why and I’m stuck there because for me the only reason would be I don’t want to end up in the principal’s office with my child or to be friendless because other parents have an aversion to slang wielding kids.
Exactly - Maybe I should say, “You make me look like a s@#$y mom if you use that language. So cut it out.”
Excuse my French?? That’s what my mom always used to say. I have no idea why, but I find myself saying it too, now that I have kids. I’m sure they will have foul mouths just like their momma!
i will never forget when my daughter came home from school talking about a book that the teacher was reading to the class. evidently it had the ’s word’ in it as well. my husband was appalled that the teacher would read something like that. being the early childhood education major that i am i knew that there was no way the teacher was reading a book with the ’s word’ to 2nd graders. we discovered that the ’s word’ was actually ’shut up’. yeah…that’s terrible. and my husband felt relief!
Oh is that cute! I remember having a similar conversation with my daughter after she started school (and began coming home with all sorts of questions/new words). She wanted to know what the “f” word was. I wasn’t about to tell her, so I pulled your trick, and flipped the question. She says, “I think it’s really an ‘fr’ word. Friendship?” ha ha! Yep. That’s what it means. You got it.
P.S. Found you in All Med…love your blog!
Hah! I don’t think Dylan even knows the word “stupid” but he’s definitley mastered the “other” version. I’m so proud.
My son is only 9 months old, but we have banned all “s” words from our house. Including, but not limited to, stupid, shut-up, suck and s***. It is hard!!