To ask about children and appropriate language

[exmoormare]

My extended family have reacted in shock to dd (nearly 3) talking about a fart

Have I made a massive faux pas? The irony is I never really swear bar the odd 'bloody hell' but I never thought of fart as being a bad word?

Your family are bonkers... Fart is a completely fine word for a 3 year old.

Phew!

They ARE a bit bonkers ... But thought I'd check!

It's not a word we used and when DS picked it up from school he was corrected. It's not the nicest of words but by no means the worst.

I am a stickler though and dont swear, DH does occasionally but never in front of DS.

Evidently there is a bit of a divide on this issue in Mumsnetworld. Here's a recent thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2213535-To-think-that-fart-is-NOT-a-swear-word

Oh lord! Lol my 5 year old is obsessed with talking about farting, popping ect. I just roll my eyes and ignore! It's all boys want to talk about and he is my 6th boy that I've nannied for so I now accept it as part of a boy growing up!

I swear, but I don't like toilet words/humour, or body fluid conversations etc.

I always used "nice" descriptions.

It's a personal thing, I suppose.

Hmm, I'd be a bit surprised to hear a 2 yr old, saying fart, tbh. It's not swearing, exactly, just not what I'd expect a little one to say...like "damn" or "hell"

You will find a big split here on MN. Many, including myself find the word too coarse for small children. It sounds ugly. I don't care if people want to call me uptight either....words are a very personal thing aren't they?

If you want to let her say that it is up to you but be aware some people will be about such a small child saying it. Same with "crap" and "God" when used as an expression of surprise or similar.

I don't like it.
But then I don't even like hearing toddlers say "oh my God", which again, isn't swearing so much.

It's sounds ugly, not nice on a small child.

we are of the more reserved persuasion when it comes to toilet humour. I have 2 boys so it does happen but it is always a trump not a fart.
even so, we talk to the boys about when it is or isn't appropriate to talk about these things and it is in our opinion best kept for when there is only us in the house.

It's one of those in-between words - it's not one I would use in front of the pre-schoolers I work with but it's not a word I'd tell them not to use or talk to parents about either.

Whereas 'fuck' is described as a taboo word, in the oxford English dictionary, 'fart' isn't, hence YANBU, they are. In fact, one might say they are being pompous old farts!

Whereas 'fuck' is described as a taboo word, in the oxford English dictionary, 'fart' isn't, hence YANBU, they are. In fact, one might say they are being pompous old farts!

It's not a word I allowed any of my children to use. DH nor I use it as we find it vulgar, however, we don't "do" toilet humour of any sort. I don't think it's very nice to hear a child of any age using it, but that's just a personal opinion.

We say trump, but I think that's regional. I use Bloody all the time in front of ds(8) and Bugger too. He tells me off for saying dog shit instead of dog poo. I do try and remember, but I am naturally coarse.
I think the number of blokes at football matches using fuck every other word when ds goes to watch a match with his uncle has usefully desensitised him to that one.
I think getting in a tizz about a year old saying fart is bizarre, but then given my filthy mouth I would do.

Three year old! A year old would be impressive!

My mum hates the word fart. We grew up being told off for fart. The replacement was trump - hardly better!

I agree it's ugly and coarse. I never say it and I'd I don't say shit or piss either.

Isn't it funny how pretentious people can be about the mere use of a word. I grew up with an incredibly 'plum in his mouth', pompous stepfather and found all of the apparently innofensive terms invented, rather amusung. Even as a child, i found 'parp', 'trump', etc absolutely ridiculous because a fart is a fart, what ever way you try to dress it up and calling it by any other name fools no-one. I do think its rude to fart in company, I don't think its rude to call a spade a spade. Or a fart a fart!

I hate the word fart - it used to be unacceptable along with arse and piss - these are all regularly used in TV and radio now before the watershed.
My parents would have been appalled if ds said fart at 3.

Love some of the superiority in this thread!!

There are far worse things than your child saying fart!
Mine say fluff
But then I say fuck a lot so have no right to be judging anyone

What does she call her fanjo OP?

fart is fine by me. I would rank it well below shit or piss in the profanity stakes.

It's just a personal dislike of a word