We all know that our kids know how to push our buttons and often they say things more for the reaction they get from us than because they are being bad, saying dirty words with purpose or being mean-spirited.
And we all know that kids pick up everything we say, especially the things we never want them to repeat. And repeat them, they do, at the most inopportune times and with regularity (see above: button pushing).
But does anyone know how my two-and-a-half year old knows to save his mouth from a good soaping when he first says “f*ck” and when admonished, instead sweetly says, “I was just saying foot. Foot. Foot. Foot.” While untrue, it’s a reasonable explanation and one we’ll let people at the grocery store believe is true. But I feel like his knowing this level of word-twisting and conniving at such a young age does not bode well for the teenage years, but after that, I’m quite certain he’ll make a good lawyer or politician.
And don’t get me started on where he picked up that word – not that I would place any blame – but if I were to give you a hint, it would stare with “s” and end with “imon.” [Love you, honey.] From me he’s more likely to learn the word moron, a term I use repeatedly while driving and yet neither of my kids has ever said it.
* The title of this post comes from a phrase Liam used to call Jack when his little brother was messing with whatever he was playing with, “You bad word baby!” It was his clever way of getting around actually saying a bad word.
ememby 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! A. first uttered f*ck after watching his daddy fix the brakes on my old taurus. My neighbor heard A. say it (at 15 months old), and ran to D, “WHOA! You’re in trouble now!!!” The boys learned “idiot” from me….which isn’t much better since it’s totally questioning someone else’s intelligence (especially while driving).
But the coverup?!?!? That’s totally Jack. Thank goodness you’re a smart mama! He’s going to challenge those brain cells! Your boys are just too cute!
Trouble, I tell you, pure trouble.
Oohh, oops!! I’m training my husband now to clean up his potty mouth. That is one word I do NOT want to hear from my sweet child’s mouth!
Yes – start early, but sadly, it always seems to get picked up the singular times a very bad word slips out. I think they tune in to the emotion of the moment and remember the associated word 🙂 Good luck!
Hehehehehehehehehehee
Just as I was enjoying laughing at you and your Bad Word Baby, feeling proud and better than you 😉 because we haven’t had a swear-er yet, it hit me that instead my children just yell at each other, snatch things out of each others hands, and instruct each other to ‘shut it’. … perhaps some modeling is going on in my home as well … 🙂