Have you taught your children not to blaspheme?

[Revised]

I've tried. I'm not particularly religious or offended by "taking the Lord's name in vain" myself but I know that people who do believe are, so I've tried to teach my children it's not acceptable and that we don't say OMG/FGS etc out of respect for others.

I'm fighting a losing battle though because it seems these are perfectly acceptable things for teachers and TV presenters to say.

[ABeautifulLie]

I'm not religious but I don't let my primary school aged children say omg. They do say 'oh my goodness' though. Hormonal teenaged daughter does say FGS as she leaves the room in a huff but I pick my battles with her so I let that one go occasionally.

[Spottybra]

4yr old has picked up oh myyyyyyyy god from school. It is seen as normal. Of course I'm trying to stop it.

[WhosLookingAfterCourtney]

Are people really still offended by 'blasphemy'? Good grief. That's their own problem tbh.

I wouldn't actively encourage it, but no, I wouldn't try to stop them as if it were a swear word.

[mrsbucketxx]

as an atheist doesn't bother me at all.

let them (religious types) get offended for all i care. there's not much that doesn't bother them anyway.

[BertieBotts]

No, I don't know anyone who is offended by it. I thought it was quite an old fashioned view actually.

However DS' old childminder used to encourage them to say other things instead, "Oh my penguins" was my favourite that he came up with

FGS is better than FFS which is what I tend to say if I don't catch myself.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

I blaspheme quite a lot myself and I have heard the ds's parrot me very occasionally. It doesn't really bother me tbh.

[TheBookofRuth]

I'm not religious and quite often say "oh my god" or "for god's sake!" but I try not to do so in front of DD as she'll copy me. I just think it sounds inappropriate coming from a small child.

[odyssey2001]

I'm not religious but my six year old niece says "oh my God"and it sounds horribly crass. I cringe every time she says it. I will not be allowing my son to say it. "Oh my gosh" is perfectly acceptable. He says "wow" at the moment and it is very cute (at 3.5).

[odyssey2001]

Also, I say "for crying out loud" instead of "for god's sake".

[MollyBdenum]

DD(7) has recently said 'Oh my God' a couple of times, so I explained that Christians found it rude and upsetting when people used the name of their god that way and so it was very bad manners to blaspheme. I suggested she use 'goodness' instead. I think it's not appropriate language for a child, but I wouldn't necessarily pick up a teenager for similar language if used in an appropriate context.

[jellymcsmelly]

Yes, I have told them that other people will be upset and so it is not polite. They aren't allowed to swear - in the same camp to me.

[ChocolateWombat]

I wouldn't blaspheme myself and I am teaching my children not to do it and also not to swear. I just don't think there is any need.
I do t think it is reasonable to expect them not to do it, if we do it ourselves. Lead by example etc etc.
There are plenty of other things that one can say instead.

[Goblinchild]

I taught my children not to swear, so they don't in my hearing. Not bothered about the difference between blasphemy, Bloody Hell or Stupid Git really, I dislike them all.
But then OH and I don't swear.
Of course, my two children are adults now and probably swear freely in the company of their peers, but what matters to me is that they know when it isn't appropriate.

[Goblinchild]

It is daft when parents swear around their children, and then are puzzled and annoyed when those children swear. Then blame the school playground influences.

[ChocolateWombat]

I agree that older children need to be taught that if they must swear/blaspheme,mother need to know when it is appropriate and not. Some people don't seem to realise you shouldn't swear in an interview, or it is not appropriate to swear in a room of small children or elderly people, or with a new business client,mor in front of their teacher etc.

When I have dealings with teenagers swearing and blaspheming, I always tell them to speak in front of me as if I were their Granny. (I realise some Grannies swear like troupers and some people swear in front of their Grannies, but the point is made)

[jellymcsmelly]

ChocolateWombat said it really well. I don't particularly mind if my children grow up to swear and blaspheme amongst their mates. But I think it is part of my job that they know that "Oh my God" is seen as different from "what a surprise" so they can act accordingly.

[LynetteScavo]

I've brought my DC up not to blaspheme or swear hasn't stopped any of them going through a swearing phase, though

It would be odd to bring your DC up to think blaspheming is OK, wouldn't it?

[lougle]

We actively discourage blasphemy (Christians) but I'd also actively discourage any saying/phrase that could cause offence to a particular group in society.

Part of living in a tolerant society is having a respect for the beliefs/cultures of other people even if you don't share those beliefs yourself. I wouldn't want my children to be a part of someone else's discomfort.

After all, there are plenty of other (non-offensive) phrases out there.

[mrsbucketxx]

Depends on your belief system if like me you think its poppycock, it makes no difference.

Fucking, pissing, cunts whatever is all real and offensive if used against someone

[Hulababy]

Yes I have. DD is 12y and knows not too.

We actively discourage this in the children at the infant school I work at too.

[ErrolTheDragon]

I haven't particularly taught her not to, but she doesn't tend to use that sort of term (she's 15 so does sometimes use other swear words - most often the not-too-bad 'bloody'). But then I tend to avoid OMG etc myself because I'm an atheist so it'd be a pretty stupid expletive for me to use.

She's better educated about blasphemy than her current RE teacher (a part timer Rev) who told her class that blasphemy was one of the 10 commandments which was also a current English law - she updated him on that one.

[lougle]

I disagree, mrsbucketxx. I think we need to raise our children to understand that how we feel about a word or phrase is irrelevant, it's how the person who has to hear it feels about it, that matters.

[Helpys]

I'm a Christian, although I find the 'don't take my name in vain' commandment a bit petty- tbh, I can't get my head round it.
But I don't blaspheme, and discourage my children from doing so.
Why? Honestly?
it's really common.

[deepbluetr]

Teaching context is what I feel is more important.

Some words that are appropriate at home are not in front of teachers. I don't mind them saying bugger, bloody etc, Jesus, OMG at home, although they wouldn't say them in front of grandparents or teachers. I have overheard DS saying fuck with his friends when he things I can't hear- and that's fine too. He wouldn't say that in front of me.
Bizarrely I use the word fuck when talking with my OH, but I wouldn't use the word in front of my kids.

I have little respect for religion- anyone that tells me I am going to hell and that my children are born with sin must expect some "blasphemy"