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 ?

No I wouldn't.

Me too!!!! 😅

Jeeze - probably not, but if bothered someone in our lives we valued, I'd consider it.

Oh God/Jesus - Yes, I have, with one of my teenagers who started saying it a lot and it was just getting really annoying.

I told her to stop invoking in the house and she'll have to deal with it when they show up. We also discussed a few people in our lives who wouldn't like she did it - or as much - but mainly I relied on humour to help remind her that how she talks with her friends wasn't entirely how we'd like her to talk at home, and after a bit, it's pretty much stopped the habit.

I'm not sure that would work with a 5 year old, or any child who might take the idea of deities being invoked showing up more seriously than as a joke.

Where does this end? If a relative of the child married a Muslim person, should the child have to cover her hair and dress modesty around them as she grows up into a tween/teen? If a relitive married a Sikh, should the child not eat beef in their presence if they go out for a family meal?

If the child isn't a member of a particular religion why should other people's rules around invisible sky people affect the child?

The only exception to this would be if the child attended a place of worship for a wedding or whatever, then obviously they should conform to the religion's rules as appropriate, to be respectful in that space

If you don't mind it then why would you stop them. If you raise them to always worry about what others think then they will grow up insecure and not confident. Those words are not swear words at all and if anyone's got a problem with them they are a bit nuts.

Well aren’t you the edgy one. 🙄

Surely the religious loons would forgive them, no?

Utterly ridiculous. Language evolves, they are just sayings to most people now, fewer and fewer people are religious anyway.

Me too! I’d never thought about it before!

It wouldn't bother me if my kids said it. They could be talking about 1 of any of the supposed 3,000 gods out there.

This I’m afraid. I’m Christian and don’t I use oh my days which is popular in my circles.

I think if it's your SIL's problem if she's offended. I wonder how she gets through a day, being so fragile?

Me too. It totally makes sense but I’ve never joined the two together.

Same.

Wonder if ‘Jeez Louise’ counts?

Yeah I had no idea Jeez was in reference to Jesus. I say Jeez Louise all the time - what the fuck does that mean?!!

Haha - crosspost @phoenixrosehere!

I didn’t let my children say “oh my God.” I’m not religious, but I think it sounds unpleasant coming from a child.

I didn’t tell them off, but I explained that some people have very deeply held beliefs over a god, Jesus, Allah and that, although we don’t share those beliefs - out of respect - we don’t use those phrases.

Sadly I also explained that words are actually just a collection of sounds known as vowels and consonants to which we attach meaning and sometimes obscure social values - and that words like ‘fuck’ and ‘bollocks’ aren’t really any more powerful than ‘copulation’ and ‘testicles’, just best not used in front of Nan or the teacher. I often get reminded of that when they let the F bomb off in public…

The word gosh really grates on me - affected and twee - it’s my ‘moist’. I don’t mind oh god/jeez.

Like another poster mentioned I’m not keen on children saying ‘what the hell’, although not sure why. I also consider ‘crap’ to be a swearword.

Oops we say Jeezo & I never gave it a thought until now 😆
When we're in children's earshot we say things like " oh my starry skies" or "oh my dog"

Not told off as such, but told not to say:

Oh God/jesus- yes, but only my own DC.
Jeeze - no. It's fine

As mentioned in pp, 'what the hell' - yes

Same.
Every time I see it I just think ‘Oh golly gosh’
Where’s it come from? and ‘Oh my days’ completely does my head in.

I remember being told off for saying oh god as a child and being told never to take the lords name in vain.
My parents weren’t religious.

I cringe when my kids said it then they were younger even though I don’t think it’s inappropriate, I can hear my parents voice in my head

DS always did a ‘good grief’ like Charlie Brown, we watched a lot of Snoopy when he was little. A few ‘Jesus Christs’ have slipped in lately. I don’t think it’s too bad but not any younger than 9 it sounds really unpleasant.

Nope, doesn't bother me at all. We say "oh God" and "Jesus" in front of DD all the time (and she's heard far worse too). She chooses not to swear at all, and says "oh my goodness" or "oh gosh" instead of "oh God". It sounds very quaint 😅