I am nothing but if not honest- and so when Juju Chang and Lee Woodruff of ABC News Now came a calling and asked me to be part of a Moms Get Real segment (with Rosie Pope too) on the topic of swearing in front of your kids- well I figured I was probably not the only potty mouthed mama who knew better but yet somehow felt compelled (especially while driving in my car on Staten Island behind yet another yutz who makes a quick left turn and forgets to signal ) to drop the F bomb when my kids are in the back seat.
“>Of course being married to Mr. perfect, aka the man who NEVER utters a curse word except MAYBE when the Mets blow a lead, I am forever being reprimanded by my husband for my ugly utterings and it is my kids who often tell me that I need to curtail the expletives that sometimes seem to flow all too freely from my lips.
Rosie Pope, shed on an interesting light on the fact that as a society we tend to use curse words to deal with both pain and anger- and in that sense there have been studies which have shown that in using them we are temporarily relieved of some of that pain. And I’ll be honest ( and get REAL) when I step on a piece of Lego, the same piece five minutes earlier I asked my son to put away and I scream out OH F$CK, for that split second the bottom of my foot does feel better. Still not a stellar parenting moment for me- I admit. So I’m trying out alternatives– for instance instead of saying Shut the F%CK up- we’re using Shut the front door- I know doesn’t have that same fire and sense of satisfaction when you say it- but as a parent- it’s much easier on the kids, and it doesn’t illict statements from my disapproving husband which include; ” Nice language in front of the kids, honey ” ( at least he always ends his statements to me with the word honey).
So I am trying to cut out my use of the F bomb or like Lee Woodruff ( who can get down and dirty with her girlfriends- but keep it clean around her kids) I will be looking for that switch.
I’m looking for suggestions- and any help- except for instituting that swear jar thing- because lord knows anytime I have money around in any jar- I will empty said jar-but I digress- so how do you keep from swearing in front of the kidlets?
Ok here are some nice words ( even tho I am right next to u with the potty mouth) —
Fudge!
Mother flower!
Is crap bad? I say that a lot. Lol
Kumquat lol
Can’t think of anything else right now.
ALL GOODIES!!!
As a frequent dropper of the most exquisite and foul of curse-words, I have to say that my (now older) children seem none the worse for wear for it. Of course, my husband NEVER curses!
OK, I have 2 elementary aged kids AND I coach high school softball. I swear like a sailor, but try to have a switch. It’s inevitable that I slip every now and again… as do my high school girls. I have a rule we call “3 better words.” Whenever someone slips, we have to pause and come up with 3 better (non-swear) words that we could have used instead.
I’ve been called out by them on more than one occasion.