Parents, Kids and Profanity

When my youngest daughter was still sitting in her high chair; she must have been about eighteen months (18) old, she used the F----- word to a family friend. He was in her face using "baby talk" to her. I would guess at that point she didn't appreciate it and she was letting him know as verbally as she knew how at her age.

The young man started to laugh at her, but I interceded. To my thinking, laughter would have been an approval. I said to my daughter "No, you can't say that! That is an ugly word. Don't ever use it again!" My little precious baby started to cry. Then she in turn said to me "Well, Mom, you says that word! So, Why can't I?" Daddy says that, too!"

I then and there let my child know that even Mommies and Daddies can be wrong about many things. That certainly was one of them! The 'Profanity' episode opened my eyes that evening. We are our children's first teachers and role models. We must be careful of what we say and do
in their presence. I realized that cursing and profanity are indeed rude and ugly. I prayed and trained myself to think before I speak.

I must say, at this point, more than thirty years have gone by, and I don't take the occasion to
use profanity. Now that daughter is 30 years old,and sometimes she'll call me to say, "Mom, I said a naughty word out of anger. Iknow it is wrong to do that! I'll be more careful next time!