The kid is still communicating the exact same intent when they say biscuits vs shit. They are just making a different sound. Isn’t it the intent that should matter?
I think there’s a component where the words matter and the intent/inflection/tone matter and that combination can be used as a whole.
Also, the desire to comment to the world when things happen is pretty human.
“That was unpleasant and hurt” when you smack your thumb with a hammer could come out as a variety of things, such as: “fuck!”, “ow!”, “Jesus Christ!”, “yikes!”, “damn!”, “aaaiiiee!”, etc. Are these ALL swearing, or does the word matter? I would say it does, but we may disagree.
But I think the intent is the most important component for me. If my kid says “fuck” after smacking his thumb, that’s not going to bother me. I’ll ask him to code-switch around me and use something else, but I fully expect that his friends are cursing all the time. The code-switching is the lesson, not the word.
If he says “fuck you” to someone, that’s a different scenario and the words are actively hostile. It doesn’t really matter what the words are, if the goal is to hurt someone verbally, then it needs to be reasonable and sometimes it can be. Telling a bully to “fuck off” won’t bother me, telling a teacher to “please depart from this facility” would. Some of the best disses in history were made without swear words, but were devastating because of it. Be eloquent.
The grey area for me come in when the ‘swear’ is an adjective. I try to coach my kids to not do this, but it sometimes happens in my speech, and I don’t bother with it in text when I can assume my readers are old enough to code switch: “These legos are fucking stuck together” is not acceptable, nor is “these legos are frikkin stuck together”, but “these legos are really stuck together” is. Sometimes, though, you need the extra emphasis a swear word gives you.
My kids read the good books, so sometimes they’ll pull a swear out of a novel. Brian Sanderson has a whole pile that my oldest will sometimes use. I find it charming when he yells “Storm it!” when I tell him to go brush his teeth. Maybe that’s just me.
No, we just talk about bodily functions and don’t shame people for what everyone does. Babies shit and piss themselves, accidents happen, and adults need help in their senior years as well. Does this shock you? You also shit and wipe your ass everyday. Don’t be a bloody prude.
Uh, no I literally don’t give a fuck - I just think it’s funny that you have a problem with a kid saying “oh biscuits”
I’d say a swear is a swear - you know what swear words are, and I didn’t decide anything, society did. Personally I don’t really care and I swear like a sailor but there’s probably been books written about what is and isn’t a swear word, how they came to exist and why they exist for all cultures and societies around the world. Maybe there are some exceptions but every language I’ve learned about has swear words in it.
Are there people that find the phrase “oh biscuits” to be unacceptable?
Like, what do you even mean?
The kid is still communicating the exact same intent when they say biscuits vs shit. They are just making a different sound. Isn’t it the intent that should matter?
I think there’s a component where the words matter and the intent/inflection/tone matter and that combination can be used as a whole.
Also, the desire to comment to the world when things happen is pretty human.
“That was unpleasant and hurt” when you smack your thumb with a hammer could come out as a variety of things, such as: “fuck!”, “ow!”, “Jesus Christ!”, “yikes!”, “damn!”, “aaaiiiee!”, etc. Are these ALL swearing, or does the word matter? I would say it does, but we may disagree.
But I think the intent is the most important component for me. If my kid says “fuck” after smacking his thumb, that’s not going to bother me. I’ll ask him to code-switch around me and use something else, but I fully expect that his friends are cursing all the time. The code-switching is the lesson, not the word.
If he says “fuck you” to someone, that’s a different scenario and the words are actively hostile. It doesn’t really matter what the words are, if the goal is to hurt someone verbally, then it needs to be reasonable and sometimes it can be. Telling a bully to “fuck off” won’t bother me, telling a teacher to “please depart from this facility” would. Some of the best disses in history were made without swear words, but were devastating because of it. Be eloquent.
The grey area for me come in when the ‘swear’ is an adjective. I try to coach my kids to not do this, but it sometimes happens in my speech, and I don’t bother with it in text when I can assume my readers are old enough to code switch: “These legos are fucking stuck together” is not acceptable, nor is “these legos are frikkin stuck together”, but “these legos are really stuck together” is. Sometimes, though, you need the extra emphasis a swear word gives you.
My kids read the good books, so sometimes they’ll pull a swear out of a novel. Brian Sanderson has a whole pile that my oldest will sometimes use. I find it charming when he yells “Storm it!” when I tell him to go brush his teeth. Maybe that’s just me.
The intent does matter, and I swear too frequently to have it bother me, but society decided certain words are swear words and it just is what it is.
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Biscuits doesn’t have secondary meanings around sex or bowel movements.
Everything does, that’s the point.
And what’s wrong with bowel movements? They are a daily part of everyone’s bodies and life.
Poop is gross. Maybe you are from one of those countries where people shit in the street and call it acceptable or something.
No, we just talk about bodily functions and don’t shame people for what everyone does. Babies shit and piss themselves, accidents happen, and adults need help in their senior years as well. Does this shock you? You also shit and wipe your ass everyday. Don’t be a bloody prude.
You’re American aren’t you?
Uh, no I literally don’t give a fuck - I just think it’s funny that you have a problem with a kid saying “oh biscuits”
I’d say a swear is a swear - you know what swear words are, and I didn’t decide anything, society did. Personally I don’t really care and I swear like a sailor but there’s probably been books written about what is and isn’t a swear word, how they came to exist and why they exist for all cultures and societies around the world. Maybe there are some exceptions but every language I’ve learned about has swear words in it.
Language is silly.
I have an issue with kids swearing and parents perpetuating it’s okay because they deem the words okay.
You’re a shitty person if you find that funny, or you take serious matters and make them a joke to you so you don’t need to care. That’s even worse.
You are a very stupid human being. Please, go back to your cave, preaching water but drinking wine. Your intelligence level is a new low for humanity.
Also, contrary to you, I didn’t use any swear word.
please stay wholesome
Did you miss the parts of my comments where I clearly fucking swore?
Yes, you are very much an adult now!
Ohhh, but you should be napping by now! Go to bed, or else mommy will get very very angry!