• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Mommy's Pen

A writer's notes on family

  • Podcast
  • About
  • My Book
  • Hire Me
  • Subscribe!

I Love Cussing

February 24, 2010 by sue campbell

I am the product of laissez faire parenting. I watched many, many “R” rated movies and hours of cable television as a child. My choices were never screened or much noticed. As a result, I have an abiding love of profanity. I studied it’s use by the greats: Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Connelly, Eddie Murphy, to name but a few. My siblings and I engaged in it as a bonding exercise, and in my twenties, I became a line cook, where I honed my skills.

Now, I have a toddler. I can’t even spell curse words in my own home without having them repeated in a tiny innocent voice, which needless to say sounds awful.

When my husband and I find ourselves alone together, we curse like sailors, but it’s not the same anymore. It’s sounds hollow. On Twitter, I follow a funny, well known comedian, and every so often I am tempted to message her: @lizzwinstead, do you not know that you have 13-yr-old beekeeping follower? Can you tone down the foul language? I wince when I think of kids reading an f-bomb in a compound word.

Of course, I remember being twelve and thinking how silly it was for adults to get uptight about swearing. (But I’d never had the experience of seeing a profane rant coming from a pre-pubescent girl from an adult perspective.) You cannot prevent kids from cussing, it’s like trying to stop them from talking altogether. A favorite high school teacher of mine used to tell a joke that illustrated people need dirty words, if they don’t have them, they’ll invent them. (Sorry, can’t remember the joke well enough to tell it.)

Here’s a little speech I’m preparing to give to Nora, some years hence:

Honey, swearing has a place, but it’s limited. Not in class, not at work, not among people you think might be offended –or unappreciative. It can give people a negative opinion of you to hear you cursing before they know you well. It’s fine to swear with your friends, and we all swear occasionally, for emphasis. But remember to hear yourself when you do it. And don’t over do it.

Then we’ll sit down together and watch Ricky Gervais in the Office and laugh until our cheeks ache. Oh, bad words can be so, so good.

Filed Under: Life is Different Now Tagged With: cussing, kids, swearing

Primary Sidebar

Listen to the podcast.

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter

What kind of blog is this?

This is a blog for PARENTS. True, the writer, Sue Campbell, writes books for kids. But this blog is for grown-ups. It has some swearing and would be super boring for kids. Except for the swearing.

The PODCAST is for KIDS and PARENTS. In fact, my twelve-year-old daughter is my co-host.

If your kids like Sue's books, send them over to suecampbellbooks.com where there's some kid-friendly content. EVEN BETTER, join the mailing list. You get stuff for grown-ups and printable stuff for kids. And sometimes there will be super ill-advised giveaways or coloring contests for free books.

MORE ABOUT SUE: She makes an ACTUAL LIVING from writing words and marketing books and lives with her husband, two daughters, six chickens and one messy house rabbit in Portland, Oregon. And yes, Portland IS that weird. She really couldn't be any luckier.

Search

Archives

  • ►2020
    • ►March
    • ►February
  • ►2019
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2018
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
  • ►2017
    • ►June
    • ►April
    • ►January
  • ►2016
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►January
  • ►2015
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►September
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2014
    • ►December
    • ►March
  • ►2013
    • ►November
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2012
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2011
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2010
    • ►December
    • ►November
    • ►October
    • ►September
    • ►August
    • ►July
    • ►June
    • ►May
    • ►April
    • ►March
    • ►February
    • ►January
  • ►2009
    • ►December

Like Mommy’s Pen

As seen at:

Scary Mommy
I'm Published by Mamalode!

Footer

View our privacy policy.

Copyright © 2023 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

I use cookies to ensure that I give you the best experience on my website. If you continue to use this site I will assume that you are happy with it.Ok