Would you tell a child off / tell them not to say ‘ oh god ‘ or ‘ jeez ‘?

[haveyubin]

is this like swearing ?

I think my DD said Jeez once in front her aunty, who told her not to say it. She’s 5.

on my way home tonight I said ‘ oh god ‘ at a traffic situation and my kids repeated it.

and it made me think that I hope they don’t repeat it.

I have heard my other nephews and nieces ( from a different SIL ) say this and I didn’t think to correct them on it ( especially as their parents were there ).

I hadn’t really noticed my DD saying it a lot at all. But her aunt did pick up on it. Anyway then it made me think in the car today that I don’t want my kids saying it in case there are other people who think it’s bad for kids to say this kind of stuff. Of course I refrain from swearing but the occasional ‘ oh god ‘ or ‘ jeez ‘ slips out.

thoughts ?

When I was at school (private, Christian, prayers-every-day-and-twice-on-Fridays type of school) our quite religious headmistress told us that saying 'God' or 'Oh my god' was not swearing but in fact a quick prayer or invocation and therefore acceptable.

I'd say jeez also falls into that category.

So, even though I don't believe in God and definitely think her stance was/is a tad unusual, I wouldn't tell a child off for saying either of them.

I would, however, tell a child off for swearing.

I got a phone call from school once saying my child had been in trouble for swearing.

Apparently he’d said ‘oh god’. I laughed. It’s not a swear word in this house full of atheists.

Nope, I say it all the time.

Both my children have said ‘oh my god’ and ‘oh jeeez’ because they have heard me say them. I don’t find either of them offensive and neither does my family. Both of those sayings greatly offend my very religious in laws though so I have asked the kids to try not to say it in front of them.

Being offended by ‘oh jeeez’ is absolutely fucking stupid though, imo.

I don't love hearing young kids saying them so I tell mine not to.

I wouldn't appreciate another adult telling them off for it on a religious basis though

Richard Osman said on a podcast that he reckoned that it’s OK to swear around people no more than 10 years older or younger than you…

It's not true that most Christians wouldn't be bothered by 'Oh God/Jesus Christ' - I go to church and the vast majority wouldn't say it or like to hear it.

I have a 4 year old and I do correct him if he says 'Oh my God' - he can say 'Oh my word/gosh/goodness' instead.

'Jeez' I consider fine though and say it myself because it's not the name.

Edited to say I'd never correct or tell off another child though. Not my place!

I was taught not to say those things when I was a child and to this day I don't like hearing them. ('Shit' and similar bother me less, and I do use those, but still not in public.) I'd teach my theoretical children not to use those expressions, in addition to other curse words. However, I wouldn't feel it was my place to correct someone else's child.

Ok well certainly most Christians I've met and know of aren't bothered by 'oh God'. (And I was brought up Christian, going to church). I've only come across my mate's parents who are bothered by it, who were much 'stricter Christians' (I don't actually think that's the right description for them to be honest but can't think of the right words). They're lovely either way!
So just going by what I've gone across in my life.

Fair enough, totally get that everyone's got different experiences of course!

I don’t let DS say it and it jars when I hear other kids say it. We aren’t religious, but it just seems a bit rough like the pp said.

Fuck me, if you think kids saying "Oh God" sound rough...

One of my best friends is a vicar. I am religious too and I admit I say Oh God a lot and try to rein it in in front of her 🤣 she literally doesn’t care. She says shit and crap and arse all the time (just not in church)

I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard DD say either, but no, it wouldn’t bother me.

Crikey is blaspheming... Gosh originated from God.

Mine have words they can use at home and words that they can use at school/infront of grandparents.

Not bothered by the odd swear but having been banned from blaspheming as a child, they tend to grate. -I'd rather hear twat knob or shit rather than bloody or blimey or any variation of God or Jesus.

To me, saying “oh my gosh” is clearly using gosh as a substitute for god, in exactly the same way that jeez is a substitute for Jesus. So why is jeez not fine, but gosh is?

Whilst young on a school trip the R.E teacher was turning the lights off, I said “oh God”, she grabbed me dragged me off the bed and tried to make me pray for forgiveness. I told her I don’t believe in him and you’ve been brainwashed 🤣

She reported me to my parents upon our return, I don’t know what she expected as my dad is the biggest atheist, served her bloody right 😝

I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid if my child or another child said either of these things. Tbh they’ve repeated worse which I have said not to but at the end of the day it’s only words and they are not swearing at ppl

It's not swearing but it is blasphemous. I am not at all religious but I was brought up by parents who were and so I don't use those expressions. I would discourage children from using them. Similarly OMG.

Add me to the list of people who just found out jeez is Jesus 😂. So obviously that one was never an issue.

I have told my older son to avoid OMG- that being silly about gods can hurt people and it’s a thing we’re working hard on right now. His dad was trying to answer questions about Easter and fell asleep while DS5 ended up on a very evangelical kids channel so spent 2 weeks telling everyone they were wrong - and DH is from a muslim background so he told a LOT of people they were wrong 🤦.

Yeah I guess we all have different standards.

My 5 year old isn't allowed to say "jesus/jeez/oh god /oh my god". She knows she could upset people. And children saying it sounds awful.

She says jeepers, oh my days instead.

My now grown up DD has been saying Oh my god forever, same as me.
Tbh if she started saying Oh my gosh or worse still Oh my days 🙄 I’d definately be having words. Drives me mad for Christ sake 😄

I’m a Christian and I tell my kids to say “gosh” instead of God and Jheeze doesn’t bother me in the slightest. But some people are wound more tightly than others I guess lol