AIBU to be a pedant with my kids?

[MardyBra]

Language changes and all that.

But I've been trying to make sure my DC learn standard grammar, even if some forms are in a state of change. My argument is that it's better to learn to say "could have" (not "of"), or to know the difference between "less" and "fewer", because one day in a job (or other life) situation they may come across a pedant who will judge them if they are not using standard grammar.

DS thinks I'm a pain in the arse, (although he's not allowed to actually say it in those terms ). He keeps reminding me that I've also told him that languages change.

You go ahead.

While it's still an advantage to know that it's "should have" then you're darn tootin' I'll teach them how to do it right.

I know I'm right really. I just feel such a pedantic arse sometimes.

Really? Whose?

The only problem is when they become more of a pedant than you.

Out for dinner a few weeks ago DD asked me if I wanted to try her meal. I said "Thanks but I can't eat that can I?" (I'm veggie). She replied with, "no mummy, you can eat it, you choose not to. She is 7.

OP, are your children allowed to use contractions, and if so, in their accent, is there a discernible difference between "could've" and "could of"?

I ask because there is so much discussion of this on MN, and it seems to me that it is primarily an issue in writing rather than speaking.

at dontyou.

And yes Scone, we sometimes have arguments conversations about whether someone has said "of" or "ve"!

Anyway there's a much livelier thread in aibu addressing this now.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2062511-About-use-of-done-10-year-old-DS-thinks-I-am-a-loon

I had an eyebrow raised moment the other day when DS(5) had pluralised with an apostrophe. I'm teaching him that he NEVER needs an apostrophe for a plural. Uncomplicated nowadays.

His new teacher has sent home a homework with introductory instructions. Should be three sentences, probably in two paragraphs. There isn't so much as a comma ...

Countess

How do you form the plural for lower case letters?

As in "mind your ps and qs"? Either like that, or with quotation marks round the letter - "t"s and "s"s.

My preference is "mind your p's and q's" or for members of the Apostrophe Protection Society, "mind your Ps and Qs."

I always correct them when they say things like "me and Charlie...."

aarrggh! it's so wrong for more reasons than one.
"It's Charlie and I!"

Once they are school age I always correct them if they are using incorrect grammar or past perfect or whatever.
but as I'm not English occasionally they correct my pronunciation, which I find sweet.

(I love it when the kids are little and say things like "bunglebee" or "rocksack" etc..
those words tend to stick around and become family folklore.
And the children tend to self-correct them anyway, normally way before I'm ready to not hear "baby words" anymore )

I have recently heard that "literally" has been redifined to mean "figuratively" as well as literally.or something similar.
which is ridiculous, if true

Does any of you know what's really happened with that?

Well, I daresay it's used more often to mean figuratively than accurately to mean literally, so it genuinely has changed. I'm a descriptivist through gritted teeth although I do have a high threshold of proof for change having occurred.

yes it's used more often, incorrectly, because of ignorance.

so instead of educating people let's adjust the meaning

I iz ain't lol wiv dat

The discussion of pedantry seems so much calmer on this Topic that it does when it appears in AIBU.

I have to bite my tongue a bit here as I know I repeatedly make a mistake that will make others cringe; 'eachother' rather than 'each other'

To OP, would you correct your DC on the use of 'who' and 'whom'. I have a feeling that is a lost cause.

The discussion of pedantry seems so much calmer on this Topic that it does when it appears in AIBU.

Yes, it is much nicer here.

It's calmer here because here we are welcome and encouraged to talk about it!

I correct "who" & "whom"

No op. It is especially important when it comes to cvs and interviews.
A lot of badly spelt cvs are apparently put straight in the bin if there are a lot of applicants for the same job.