,,to be MIGHTILY PISSED OFF at having my language corrected by a six year old?

[worriermum]

Some background for the Mumsnet Court:

Said six year old is staying at me for three days while his Mum is away. Has many sweet sides sides to him but also has an ability to get Right Up One's Nose. He managed to wind DH up within ten minutes of coming to say. Anyway, I have been a model of patience and good behaviour.

But today, I commented about another child that "she's a helluva sweet kid". To which the six year old friend - lets call him Fred - says "Ah Worriermum, when you say someone is nice try not to say the h word". I had no idea what he was talking about. So he explained.."you said she is HELL of a nice". Aaaa - am getting irritated all over again as I type this. Sorry, but "hell" does not offend me, unlike the persistently racist terms used by his parents! Secondly, Fred is the ONLY child I have ever heard scream "...my fucking programme" in a temper (at his older brother) so I am certainly not about to take lessons in language from him. And finally, even if I was turning the air blue, swearing and blaspheming...IT IS NOT A SIX YEAR OLD'S PLACE TO CORRECT ME!!! It is obnoxious in the extreme.

So I snapped at him "Fred I think you should worry about your own language and leave me to worry about mine!". Yes, I know it was reactive and a tad immature and that I am the grownup but...AARGH.

So tell me Mumsnet, what do you think? And what should I have done?

(this post should come with a warning: OP IS NEITHER RATIONAL, CALM OR OPEN TO REASON RIGHT NOW. Post if you dare...[please..!])

YABU. It's really confusing to go to someone else's house and have different rules about what you can and cannot say. I got a complete bollocking for saying damn at a friend's house when I was 7, despite reassurance from my dad that it WASN'T a swear word.

It's also really unfair that adults tell kids what to do ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME and then get all stroppy when kids do the same back. If a child reacts badly to being told what to do, what happens to them?

When my daughter was six one of her classmates told me that Meccano was pronouced MECK-CAN-no. 'Not where I come from,' I told him. They can be very brattish at that age.

Mumsnetters I love you all (unlike Fred - did I mention...)Where else can you rant, hear good sense, get some support - and throw ashtrays.
Thanks for making me laugh all of you.. hard to stay furious when you're chuckling.

Chipping..that's VERY grown up - has way more gravitas than what I said!

Sorry I threw an ashtray at you Camel.

Looking forward to the

YANBU - your house, your rules.

Sounds a bit cocky the way he said it - mine may comment on a 'naughty' word or say something like 'we are not allowed to say that at home' but they are well aware of swear words and when they can / cannot use them and it would be very much in jest!

Just send him to his room with a large coke, bar of choclate, DS or laptop and be rid of him for the rest of the day

Had to check this thread wasn't about my 6 yo .

She constantly corrects dp and I (he's from Cumbria, I'm Scottish and we live in Hampshire), so we get a lot of "it's not 'me shoes' daddy, it's 'my shoes'" and "mummy wee does not mean small, it's what you do in the toilet".

I may be in the minority, but I find it amusing only because it saves me having the my not me convo with dp.

Boris, no, of course when my DS corrects me it's only evidence of what a clever, witty, entertaining little chap he is. Fred on the other hand..

DS is the same age and quite capable of being a little know-it-all when he quite patently knows very little. (harsh-but-fair emoticon) so I do understand how annoying they can be!

His CM is fairly religious and there are loads of words which he cannot say with her which would not even raise an eyebrow at home - Hell, God etc and it is only now (nearly 7) that he is starting to get some sense of the grades of swearing - I suspect your little "friend" thinks Hell is as bad as fuck. I will say that I don't mind him having a go at me if I do swear but then he's my son, I would be embarrassed if he told of an adult for doing so, unless they were being a complete potty-mouth in front of him.

worrier I know what you mean. I'm sure your DS and my DD1 are witty and entertaining to all, but some kids (like poor Fred) just don't have the charisma to carry off that kind of thing...

ok, while we're on this subject...when my 7yr old is doing my head in and I'm saying 'PUT YOUR SHOES ON!!'..for the 14th time and she says '...but you didn't say the magic word...' what is the correct response?

Surely I don't have to say 'please' when i'm in shouty mum mode? or do I? Am v big on please and thank yous normally...

advice please...

YANBU he sounds like a right little Lord Fauntleroy. I would have served him a bowl of water for his dinner.

My favourite anecdote from childers such as this is when a friend's little friend said to friends father whilst driving in the car "John, can I believe my eyes? You are driving at 40 mph in a 30 zone" John nearly twated the little fellow

Condescending children have condescending parents.

'Helluva'???? Are you from North Wales?

"' what is the correct response?"

NOW!

yanbu - he's a jumped up little shite

"It's also really unfair that adults tell kids what to do ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME and then get all stroppy when kids do the same back."

It's called 'the pecking order'.... kids do as they're told, adults don't do what kids tell them. We were all kids once, all had to endure this and none of us came off any the worse. They should know their little places and expect to be pulled up sharp for cheeking adults... it's good for them

Put the bastard in his place...

LOL some kids are annoying, just laugh at him, I wouldn't get wound up by a 6 year old.

Just hold on to the thought that he will be 15 one day, and he's not your child! believe me, 15yos are MUCH WORSE! he'll be going home soon.
In the mean time, could you maybe tell him you are going to play Harry Potter and shut him in the cupboard under the stairs?!

I love 6 year olds! They're all precise and obnoxious- It's really amazing and touching to see how much goes on in their heads.

Must be confusing being told how to speak all the time then not hearing it from the adults around you. Sounds more like he's making sense of his world than being an obnoxious twat.

Agree with the 'Children do not tell adults what to do' line. Sounds like he gets confusing messages elsewhere!

Oh dear. Totally agree that children shouldn't correct adults - but sometimes we need it! We don't swear at all in my house. But the other day I was driving - just learned and am very nervy and generally crap - when something untoward happened. 'F***ing hell' I said. My 4-year-old in the back said 'But mummy, you should say flipping heck!' I thought that was a fair point.

Abr1de - how on earth DO you pronounce Meccano? I would have pn it just like the little boy did...

OP, Sorry but YABU!

No I don't think you were. You weren't rude to him - I thought it was a very good response as long as you didn't scream at him with a frothing mouth. Why do people feel the need to tip-toe around children nowadays and not to correct them?

I would pronounce it: MecCAHno, which was how I'd said it at the time the six-year-old told me I was 'wrong'.

I don't mind him pronouncing it differently but I did mind him telling me, very bluntly, that I was wrong. In my own house. WIth our own MecCAHno set.