Shock.Silence. My husband and I stared at each other, for what felt like 5 minutes. She didn't, did she? Still in her pure white dress, with the smell of Easter candy on her breath. Our little angel, dropped the F bomb. I immediately told her it was a naughty word and that "we" don't say that. The problem is apparently "we" do.
Neither her father or I would ever let that word slip in front of her on purpose, but its safe to say she heard it from one of us. We both have a potty mouth that isn't pretty. She must have overheard one of us say it. A moment when we didn't think she was listening but obviously was taking in EVERY word we said. She is a sponge and remembers everything.
I finished buckling her in the car after our long Easter Sunday. Took my seat in front, next to my husband. We looked at each other again and smiled. Trying very hard not to start laughing. Not that we want her to talk like that, but you can't deny how hilarious it is to hear a toddler curse. Funny because it isn't expected.
If anything it was a reminder to both of us, that even when we think she isn't paying attention, she is. She is watching, learning, and trying to mimic the words and actions of her parents. She is far too little to understand the "do as I say, not as I do" side of parenting. Being a constant example can be a bit draining and nobody is perfect. All we can do is try our best and hope that someday in the future, a note doesn't come home from school, saying our preschooler swears like a sailor.
As I might have expected, you did exactly the right thing by simply explaining to her that the F-bomb is not acceptable language without making a big scene about it. Kids love big scenes. They are so aware of their parents' hot buttons. Exploding would have sent a message of "All I have to do to get my parents attention is say The Word."
ReplyDeleteI went through the Word Heard "Round the World" a few times. But other than explaining that it's use might mean nobody would like them, or want their kids to play with them was enough.
You are right, she may have heard it from you or she may not, overheard the guys watching a hockey game. It's freely used on TV and radio these days. An upside is that once the word is loose in your house, it's a reninder to watch your own language, not a bad thing.
I have to watch expletives myself and need to be even more careful now that I have a flock of smart, impressionable great-grands.