To think that this is inappropriate?

[cerealnamechangers]

An acquaintance on Facebook posted a picture of her toddler son with the caption 'jack was howling on the school run today and people were commenting saying oh poor him, well no quite frankly he's just being a twat and I'm allowed to say that because he's my child' she then posted an update later ' received some lovely messages from my rant this morning some people are afraid to state the truth but I'm not if you've never referred to your toddler as a twat then you are a liar' I have since unfriended her as I think referring to a child as a twat is disgusting and I can't see the funny side of it to be honest. Have I just lost my sense of humour?

I thought adults are twats and children are silly. There are loads of words she could have used, attention seeking, annoying or irritating to describe Jack. Calling him a twat says more about her than her little boy.

I think you need to chill out a bit Schmoo

Different people do different things. I assure you in my family at least, despite the horrors of swearing, we were all very loved and secure growing up.

Acard: I've no high horse to climb down from... Two grown siblings calling each other names is different from a parent referring to a child as a twat, even if they are not calling the child a twat directly. I can't imagine 'twat' used as a term of endearment, sorry.
I can honestly say that it wouldn't cross my mind to think of a child as a twat.
DameDiazepam: well, I can only say I can't imagine the word being anything other than highly offensive.

Acard: it would never be okay with me. That's just how I feel, sorry.

That's fine, you're entitled to your opinion. Can you accept I'm entitled to mine?

Yes, Acard, I never said you weren't.

Also it's a bit daft to say you "can't see" a certain word used as a term of endearment. A term of endearment is anything at all if it's said with love and affection!!

well, I can only say I can't imagine the word being anything other than highly offensive

You can't imagine that words mean different things to distant people/ words and phrases mean different things depending where you live?

Really?

twat or shit would never be acceptable in my book, and I'm genuinely amazed that pp here would be relaxed about their children being called this.

Every day's a school day, I guess

See, I can't imagine ever using twat as a term of endearment. Best to agree to disagree, I think.

Not the word twat, no, DameDiazepam.

Anyway, regardless of apparent differing opinions on the term, I don't think that Facebook poster was using the word as anything other than an offensive, insulting term...

Pictish I'm in Australia, maybe something got muddled along the way but generally in my town it's what you'd use to insult someone as in tart/slut etc

YANBU but it's the kind of thing that is said to knowingly break a taboo when a mum is at the end of her tether and really needs to let off steam. That's all well and good but it gets dangerous when it becomes widely acceptable to say it. So I don't approve, really.

Where do we stand on cowbag?

I LOVE cowbag. Haven't used it in ages

Fartface? A favourite of my dads

I wouldn't use them to describe a child, but I'm really surprised that there are places where twat, bugger or toerag are considered 'bad' swearing! These, to me, are mild enough that I'd use them in front of my parents - and we were not a sweary household at all.

Bumface?

For some of us, twat used to be a simple variation on twit, rather than a reference to vag.

And then some teachers wonder at the language of the playground. Anything offensive one child says to another has been learnt somewhere, from someone. When I hear a small child use abusive terms I wonder who said to them to that child first.

Sad.

My previous post: "When I was growing up Twat was really offensive, just a small step down from cunt". Friend of mine has just posted this on FB proving my point I feel

I'm from Darn Sarf and twat really isn't a majorly offensive word around these parts.

I use the word and its derivatives quite a lot but never in an attempt to be offensive.

For example, 'twatting around' just means messing/fannying around.

'Getting twatted' is another way of saying getting pissed.

'Twatting someone' would mean hitting them.

My friend called her 1 month old baby a bitch for keeping her up at night!

I have always used the British definition of twat which basically means a stupid person so similar to twit. It is certainly not offensive.