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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Swearing at kids

44 replies

Whatcouldpossiblygowrong · 09/05/2019 20:00

It really really upsets me if my other half swears at our kids -he does it loud enough they can hear, always in anger and quite regularly. He also shouts quite a lot. They’ve always done something to prompt it- being silly, not listening etc but it shocks and upsets them. I’ve very occasionally sworn under my breath out of frustration but never at them. Also I try not to raise my voice and if I do it is controlled not yelling out of rage.
He struggles with mental health and is currently in a difficult place where he is v stressed. I’ve said before that if he keeps doing this it will be a problem and he promised to address it but happened again tonight.
AIBU to be this upset about it- and what can I do?

OP posts:
ginnylicious12 · 09/05/2019 23:02

Copperandtod I would call it unpleasant and very unacceptable discipline but maybe not abuse. That doe snot make it any less wrong. Children who really are abused usuaslly know to stay out of a parent's way when they behave like this.

I know from personal experience- my father treated me and my sibling the same way and it was horrible. I used to consider it abuse but then I realised that yes, it was nasty but I should have learned to not provoke him. Some of the time it was undeserved, but many times he was just trying to help me be less loud and annoying. He liked peace and quiet and I was a noisy little brat.

ginnylicious12 · 09/05/2019 23:05

I also read up on abuse and complex trauma (I had some issues which made me wonder if I had been abused) and read that children who are abused usually make themselves quiet and wll behaved and become withdrawn. I did none of those things, so I question whether it was abuse.

However, what we call it, which is a matter of opinion is not the main thing- the main thing is for OP to get him to stop doing it. OP, have you told him how you feel? (Aplogies if this has been mentioned have not read full thread and it's late, must go to bed soon)

Copperandtod · 09/05/2019 23:07

It is abuse. He shouts at his children in anger and swearing. They are shocked and upset. What else would you call it? It’s horrendous to think that any child or any adult for that matter is suffering in such an environment

Drogosnextwife · 09/05/2019 23:08

My dad swore at me if I was playing up, didn't have a bad effect, it's just a word and I knew he was really serious if he swore. Think it depends on how it's used really "your a little bastard, how dare you fucking do that".... Not ok, "for fucks sake, do as you're told"... Not as bad.

Copperandtod · 09/05/2019 23:13

To say fuck to express your annoyance at a child is disgraceful. There’s no way of getting around it

MissPollyHadADolly19 · 09/05/2019 23:26

I swear at DD occasionally. Not so much in anger and with a raised voice, unless it's something dangerous e.g. DD get your hands away from the fucking cooker!
Most of the time it's just casual swearing though, was brought up around it myself, "cockney sparra" at heart, there was all sorts of effin and blindin and I didn't turn into too much of a delinquent! Wink

But in all seriousness - if it's regular and he's causing alot of distress then no this is not ok.

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 09/05/2019 23:40

It's not acceptable, when I was about 8 DF feel off the ladder getting out of the loft when a rung broke, he turned the air blue, he was quite hurry and had to go to hospital as he banged his head quite hard, before he even left with DM to go (neighbour watched us) he apologised for his language. It wasn't directed at us and I fully understand where it came from, but he made sure we knew straight away it wasn't ok in front of children. I'm a fairly sweaty adult, just in vibration bit at people, but you just moderate yourself no way would I swear at work, in front of DS/DNs etc. How does he cope at work or out in public? Does he only swear and shout at children or people who are afraid of him?

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 09/05/2019 23:41

*sweary not sweaty 😁

LizzieSiddal · 09/05/2019 23:47

Does he work? Does he shout and swear at the people there, or people in the supermarket, or family and friends when he’s stressed out? I expect not.
If not he can control it and he needs to control himself and stop doing it to his children.
And you won’t like this OP but if he won’t stop it’s up to you, as their mum to protect them.
I’d tell him he either goes and gets help in order to stop verbally abusing his children or he has to leave.

You must protect your dc.

llewellyn25 · 10/05/2019 00:33

His behaviour is unexceptionable because he is the adult and his MH isn't an excuse for treating your kids like that. Your children need to come first.

RSAcre · 10/05/2019 00:49

He sees himself as a good man trying his best under enormous stress and me as picking holes rather than supporting

Then he is suffering from a distorted view of normality.
Why would he expect to be "supported" when he is shouting & swearing at young children?
It's entirely possible to suffer from MH issues WITHOUT being a dick to other people.

If he maintains that he cannot help it because of his MH, then I am afraid you are absolutely right - kids have to come first, & he must remove himself from family life until he can control himself.

If the shouting & swearing is NOT to do with his MH, then he can either agree to stop acting like a dick, or he can remove himself.

Sorry this is coming over as harsh OP, but your kids cannot be expected to endure his incessant nastiness. Neither should you be.

RSAcre · 10/05/2019 00:55

If they have done something to prompt it then it is not abuse.

Are you for real @ginnylicious12 ?

Kids act up. Kids are annoying. Kids get things wrong, Kids are naughty.
Is that ANY excuse to constantly shout & swear at them?
Every child should feel safe & secure in their own home. I doubt the OP's kids feel any of that with all this going on.

"not abuse" my arse. Would YOU put up with someone shouting & swearing at you every day?

RSAcre · 10/05/2019 01:02

I know from personal experience- my father treated me and my sibling the same way and it was horrible. I used to consider it abuse but then I realised that yes, it was nasty but I should have learned to not provoke him

Oh @ginnylicious12 NOW I understand where you are coming from.

May I make a suggestion - with the kindest & most gentle intent?
Don't just read up on abuse & cPTSD: get in touch with an agency or your GP to request some one-on-one counselling.
"Should have learned not to provoke him" is absolutely classic victimisation. You were being blamed & made complicit in your own abuse. This is what abusers do, it is grooming.

Please get yourself some support on this from a professional, so that you can dump the self-blame & get some clarity about the dynamics of your family history.

Reinga · 10/05/2019 05:28

His behaviour is unacceptable and he is modeling that behaviour for your DC.
He is showing them that yelling and swearing at your loved ones is an appropriate response while stressed.
My DM was a shouter and used to swear/call me and my siblings some derogatory names when we were growing up. It doesn't do your self esteem any good and I've never forgotten it.
You know this isn't right and I hope you can find a way to put a stop to it immediately.

Whatcouldpossiblygowrong · 10/05/2019 07:24

Thank you for all your replies. Not a word was spoke between us last night and he’s no idea why I’m being distant this morning. He’s totally preoccupied with other issues that are the cause of stress and I don’t want to bring it up when I know he won’t be rational about it. Maybe this evening I could ask to talk about what happened calmly

OP posts:
oneforthepain · 10/05/2019 09:19

I used to consider it abuse but then I realised that yes, it was nasty but I should have learned to not provoke him. Some of the time it was undeserved, but many times he was just trying to help me be less loud and annoying. He liked peace and quiet and I was a noisy little brat.

It's so sad that he's damaged you so deeply that you've convinced yourself of this. Some abused children become withdrawn, but not all.

He was the adult, you were the child - and a child behaving like any other child.

The responsibility was on him to stop abusing you, not for you to learn to somehow not make him abuse you. He would have find an excuse, no matter how quiet you became. Abuse is about wielding power, not a desire for "peace and quiet".

You may not see it, but the way you talk about yourself and interpret what was done to you is absolutely characteristic of an abused child. The only perspective a child has is that if something bad happens it must be their fault - and you're still talking that way, the way any abused child explains why they are being abused.

I hope you will seek support instead of tormenting yourself for not being some mythical perfect child and then using your own self blame to justify the abuse of other children.

oneforthepain · 10/05/2019 09:21

Op, have you considered what you will do if he refuses to discuss it or turns it around on you/the children again?

I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect no matter how careful you are about when and how you speak to him, the response will still feature "you're overreacting", "you/they drive me to it", "you're being hysterical/crazy/hormonal/controlling" and culminating in him demanding an apology from you...

Whatcouldpossiblygowrong · 10/05/2019 12:45

Yes I fear you’re right.
But I’m going to try anyway. At least then I am standing my ground about speaking out when I don’t feel comfortable with something. If it continues i feel I have to do something- but what? Even if we separated he could behave like that to them and I wouldn’t know

OP posts:
Langrish · 10/05/2019 20:53

Copperandtod

To say fuck to express your annoyance at a child is disgraceful. There’s no way of getting around it“

This.

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