I have a foul mouthed toddler that talks about poop. She’s kind, sometimes considerate, and good hearted- she’s three. My house believes values and respect carry more weight than being politically correct in today’s society. To some we look like terrible parents, well- I look like a terrible mom for “letting” that language happen. When in reality, I think it’s hilarious- when it’s in context of course.
Why is swearing so aggressively offensive to some people? I can appreciate not swearing AT someone, but if I’m a toddler that drops a gallon of milk in a grocery store (real story)- why is it offensive to yell “sh*t”?! Or, using “f*ck” after stubbing your toe, or closing the wooden door over your toe? To me, those are VERY appropriate times to use those expressive words. I know there is a societal standard to raise kids not to swear, and how to be appropriate in public and in school systems- but doesn’t it make more sense to focus on expressing yourself in the moment, instead of bottling it up to make society happy?
This morning, my daughter went down stairs to the kitchen to grab a snack. She thoughtfully grabbed extra snacks for not only her younger brother, but snacks she thought mom and dad might want to. I LOVE that she thought about not only her needs, but the potential needs of the rest of her family. It’s a simple gesture, but that’s the kindness we want to reward and promote.
Everyone communicates in a different way. It feels like society is losing focus on interpreting and taking the extra second to try and understand what someone else is saying and instead focuses on how they personally perceive it. In a seemingly instant gratification society, how about we take the extra second to focus on the positives and appreciate any form of communication instead of whether it’s socially appropriate or not. Maybe then we can tackle some issues on resiliency and how to work through problems, not just sweep them under the proverbial carpet and hope no one sees, hears, or judges.
Full disclosure, I’m still working on promoting what’s best for my family- not what’s best for the social norm. My husband tends to be more the rebellious side when it comes to language, but I know how cruel public perception can be- especially when a toddler drops the F bomb in a grocery store with her mom. I’m slowly getting there, wanting to teach my kids it’s okay to express your feelings and words- but that using explicit language towards someone is definitely not okay. At the end of the day, if we have kind-respectful-thoughtful kids, I’ll be okay!
Calm Collected Mom 