,,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..!])

I would've reminded him that it is rude to "Correct an adult", and changed the subject.

He is only a tot. Besides, he would've forgotten by tomorrow.

Balls to a glass of wine, any chance you can get yourself a bottle?

I once said 'Oh that bloody thing drives me mad' to my friend whilst in her kitchen (dcs in lounge) and her DD (5) was coming up behind me at time (unnoticed )

She did the 'aaahhhh, mumbar said 'bloody''. My friend told her not to repeat it if it was a bad word but she insisted on arguing with her mum for 3 minutes over the fact I'd said 'bloody' using the word herself about 7 times.

I simply said 'yes its a grown up word, it isn't the best word to use but sometimes grown ups use bad words and you just have to let them and not repeat them.'

Had to bite my lip when 5 minutes later she was screaming at my friend 'your a stupid ugly idiot and I wish you'd die' because she was told no to chocolate as dinner was in the oven.

YANBU, but IMlimitedE the DC's who pull you up are the ones likely to be obnoxious themselves.

Its time to use the well known phase 'do as I say, not what I do'

I'm amazed to be honest that there is such disapproval of the child saying what he did in the first place - All he was doing was repeating what he's no doubt heard continually from his parents teachers or whoever but I'm really suprised at the amount of people who don't like children "correcting" adults. I woudn't have regarded it as anything more than a normal conversation with a six year old...