Parents who constantly swear at their kids

[longlocks]

I hate it. The frequency of swear words could make children think that they are acceptable words.

Was in a Coop and two mums with 4 kids between them and one of the kids (guessing 5 years old) swore and the mum screamed “stop fucking swearing” (the irony). Then every third word the mum said was a swear word.

Do you think parents should be swearing like this to their kids?

I had a family move in next door to me with 2 primary age children. I'd hardly ever heard any one use the f swear word to young children and I was shocked the way the couple next door shout and swear at their children - mainly the mother I have to say but sometimes the father. The sad thing is I hear the children swearing now.As you say OP they must think it's the normal way to speak.

I phoned social services on my neighbour who was constantly shouting at her children and swearing at them. The final straw was her calling them a bunch of cunts.

Can't be condoned if its constant.

I detest swearing in front of children so YA definitely NBU, yet on Mumsnet swearing is pithy and nothing to get worked up about.

It's verbal abuse and should be reported to SS in my opinion.

Agree with @Butteredtoast55, I was gobsmacked at opinions to swearing in front of children on MN. I don’t judge much when it comes to parenting but would judge any parent who openly swears in front of them and would consider parents swearing directly at them to be absuive

I think it's all context. I have a client who used to do very "awwwww little fuckers" with a smile in a calm voice. I'd prefer that to a hissed, "you stupid child".

Shouting, using any words to hurt, nasty stuff... the actual word doesn't matter. 'Stupid' is one of the worst and it's not a swear word.

My mum was one of these. I'm in my 40s and having dropped the swearing habit & I don't like it.

Was cycling home with nursery age DS and a mother was cycling with her two older children - I would guess about 14 and 12. Swearing awfully at the 14yo - it was distressing to hear him called “a stupid dickhead” and to hear her say “I fucking told you” and “you’re this close to losing you’re fucking phone” -
really horrible. Undermined her authority too and made me question what is it like at home if she is able to speak like that out of the house? I felt for those kids.

I absolutely hate it. Occasionally I'll slip up and sweat infront of my children but I don't swear at them. I still don't swear infront of my mam and I'm almost 30🤣

*swear not sweat 🤣

I've definetely sweated infront of my children in this heat haha

It's really, really horrible. I can't bear it. Instant judgement from me. I have occasionally let out an "oh shit" if I drop something heavy on my foot but maybe twice in my daughter's life - and I apologised straight away.

Words are classed differently to different people. One of my friends parents treated the word fart as a swear word we had to say trump when they were around. A friend who grew up on a farm was always talking about cow shit, it was just another word in their vocab.

you need to know the whole context before you can make judgements on the language used.

My mum always swore be we never dared. My favourite was when my brother was about 16 and typical boy didn’t wash. My mum walked in the front door and instantly shouted “Tim, you smelly little bastard, I can smell you, get in the bath”

I was crying with laughter. I don’t like hearing kids being sworn at excessively but slipping up and swearing around kids if an accident happens. We always knew not to repeat or we’d have our mouth washed out with soap.

wou the friend who grew up on the farm use the word shit as a swear word, though? Because that’s the difference

is there? They would use it in terms of there is shit everywhere, they had the shit cleaning job.

how do you use a swear word not as a swear word.

if someone said the doctor is going to look at my cunt

or

just off for a quick fuck

would these not count?

I will likely be flamed for my view.

I NEVER swear at my children but have dropped many frustrated swear words over the years (now teens).

In all honesty, I know it is a bit uncouth to swear in general but feel it is utterly despicable to actually aim any kind of insult at children- swear or not. Telling a child they are an idiot is something that hurts, they understand and will carry for a long time- much worse than a swear in my eyes.

i personally do not like it, and i never swore infront of my children and if anyone ever hears me swear then they know i'm very very annoyed.

that said, i also think its a society thing; for example, my husband works in a factory and his language can be shocking, although i do gently remind him not to swear in front of me, and with my job, i speak to a lot of people where swearing in conversation is actually normal for them.

if i'm speaking on the phone to a 'client' we will call them, and every other word is 'fuck' or 'cunt' i again gently remind them not to swear at me and they admit, they are not meaning to swear, and they are not swearing at me, its just how they speak!

doesn't make it right.

Dreadful parents who will end up with aggressive kids!

My mum swore at us all the time, not just overhearing her swear, but directly calling me a fucking bitch and a lazy fucking cow at a really young age. It definitely damages kids :(

Yes to this.

I swear all the time in front of whoever happens to be there. I'm Irish though and most people I know tend to swear quite liberally.

I just don’t care about swearing I’d never swear AT my kids although I’m sure I’ve called them wee shites before - and we have NEVER called them stupid idiots etc - THAT is massively damaging. so yep those people you overheard are abusive scum bags. I love my children and would never belittle them in private never mind public.

however
I just don’t think language should be censored.

Chavvy abusive parents

Swear words is a funny thing. They’re actually just words, the meaning is something we’ve made up.
“bitch” isn’t abusive, calling someone a stupid bitch obviously is.
Yeah, swearing and shouting at young children is gross. But the same if a parent said, you’re useless, or a horrible child or whatever.
Swearing in front of them is totally different. As a pp said, ‘fart’ was a swear word in our house, and I struggled when I had young kids that other children and adults would say it in front of them (it was the level of ‘shit’ to me).
Now I have a raging potty mouth. I’m not proud of it but not ashamed either. I’ll swear in front of my kids (older teens), but never at them.
The co-op mum you describe sounds hideous.