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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To say that 'fart' is not an appropriate word for a 2yo?

271 replies

IcecreamBus · 03/12/2015 20:53

Basically, DH thinks it's fine to say farty-farty whenever DD has wind, which she thinks is hilarious and now copies.

I've said that I don't think it's a nice word for a child to learn. My argument is that fart is along the same lines as 'crap', not offensive as an adult but you wouldn't want your toddler saying it. He says it's not the same at all and that fart is utterly non-offensive. It's not a huge deal, we're kind of just a bit bemused with each other's views over it. So who is being unreasonable?

OP posts:
sugar21 · 03/12/2015 21:17

I'm 34 and dont find fart offensive, my pearl clutching Mother banned the word in our house but Dad used to say it to annoy her. My dd who is 16 says parp, that makes me laugh

Indole · 03/12/2015 21:17

When I was small we used to have to call it wind (am not ancient, only 47). I think fart is at least honest!

SummerHouse · 03/12/2015 21:18

We sometimes use "cut the cheese" for fart and "drop the kids off at the pool" for "I am off for a shit". Not sure what's wrong with us really. Grin

scalliondays · 03/12/2015 21:18

Think you should buy a minion fart gun for Christmas!

Maki79 · 03/12/2015 21:18

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the posters request.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 03/12/2015 21:18

My 3yo DD said fart the other day.

I found it hilarious and got her to say it again a few times.

FoxesSitOnBoxes · 03/12/2015 21:18

Fart was terribly rude when I was little! Is it not anymore? It was like a swear word for little children, before the world of actual swearing opened up. Bum was pretty rude too.
We pump in our house.

Micah · 03/12/2015 21:19

I don't like the word fart. It's not pleasant, but neither is a fart :). It's better than all the faux-polite alternatives like pop, fluff, etc.

I was brought up in a very repressed household, so take a perverse joy in my mother's horror when my child announces they've farted.

Apparently it's not ladylike to a) Fart in the first place especially in front of m.e.n , b) tell everyone you farted, and c) call it a fart.

IcecreamBus · 03/12/2015 21:20

No, I don't have a problem with actual farting (I find it funny) or poos or anything like that. I also don't see it as a swear word, just one that I was brought up to think isn't nice coming from the mouths of children.

I'm happy to accept that the world has moved on and loosen up a tad though.

OP posts:
iwantgin · 03/12/2015 21:22

Vulgar.

Poop is a better word IMO. If it needs mentioning at all.

I don't find it funny anyway. We apologise and move on.

CorBlimeyTrousers · 03/12/2015 21:22

I'm 40 and growing up I would never have used the word fart in front of my parents. We used blow off. With our 5yo son we used to say pops or windy pops but we seem to have graduated to farts. Although we used to call him McFartPants as a baby (he was). When he said fart the other day my dad corrected him to 'pop' and I didn't correct my dad. I thought it was probably good for my son to learn that different people have different rules.

I hate 'trump' (partly because it makes me think of Donald Trump).

scratchandsniff · 03/12/2015 21:23

3 year old DS says 'I did a farted'Grin. Don't really see a problem with the word fart. Rather that than some of the twee alternatives being mentioned.

Hihohoho1 · 03/12/2015 21:25

Fizz pop like the big friendly giant.

Fart is not naice. Grin

Dh worked with a bloke who used to fart and told his kids it was carpet frogs and they spent years looking for them.

SummerHouse · 03/12/2015 21:25

I agree icecream

Mine are 3 and 6 and boys and i am slack so I think there will be an inevitable decline in their language. But for now I would not be happy to use fart in front of them.

LikeASoulWithoutAMind · 03/12/2015 21:26

We call a fart a fart in our house. I'm early 40s if that's relevant.

SummerHouse · 03/12/2015 21:28

DS has introduced "personals" for willy which he has been taught at nursery. E.g. "he kicked me in the personals"

That's a whole other threads worth I think.

IcecreamBus · 03/12/2015 21:29

Hiho Grin carpet frogs! That actually made me snort my tea!

OP posts:
squiggleirl1 · 03/12/2015 21:31

I'm a definite pearl-clutcher when it comes to kids saying 'fart'. It just sounds so wrong to me. DH isn't overly gone on it, but doesn't see it as too much of an issue.

We use bottom burps, windy bums, wind, passing wind, breaking wind in our house. That said, I know my kids say 'fart' when talking to their friends, and whilst I don't want them to say it, I also don't want them to stand out amongst their friends.

toldmywrath · 03/12/2015 21:32

I'm in my 50's, fart (I don't even like typing it!)was a swearword in our house when growing up. I never let my children say it, we used trump, blow off or my bros used to guff. Just typing those makes me smile.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 03/12/2015 21:32

I wouldn't say fart in front of say the Headmistress at my school but en famille it's fine.

I have nevver really thought about it, but I would hazard a guess that if you are comfortable enough to actually fart in front of a person, you probably have the type of relationship where you can say the word fart in front of them.

In the Hearts household we seem to be overrun with chronic infestations of Mongolian Barking Spiders. They take the blame for most fart and burp sounds.

MummyPig24 · 03/12/2015 21:32

We say fart. I'm 27. We Called it "popping off" as children. Sounds so twee. I'm cracking up at the carpet frogs, I'm going to use that! I don't care if my kids say fart and bum. "Personals" has also really made me laugh.

IdaClair · 03/12/2015 21:32

Raised to consider it a swear word and use trump instead. It is one of those words that is ok from teen up IMO.

Although I was raised to consider knackered a swear word too. And I had very liberal, new age parents.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 03/12/2015 21:33

Arf @ carpet frogs

Doublebubblebubble · 03/12/2015 21:33

Fart is a funny word. Farting IS funny it doesn't matter how old you are.

LBOCS2 · 03/12/2015 21:33

My DM (who was once likened to Lady Bracknell in print) said fart. So we did. And now DD does (actually, she announces "I'm a farty pants!" with a big grin on her face). I'm 30. I don't think I know anyone who thinks it's offensive - although to be fair it's not something my friends and I generally discuss.