The Bad Word Police

The Hubs and I don't really use a lot of foul language. In fact, it is very rare to hear us use a full curse word.

We may call the slow moving old lady riding down the street a "B", but never a "bitch". We may yell "S" if we burn ourselves, but we don't scream out "shit". You may hear me say "eff" or "effing", but I rarely ever drop the F-bomb, even in print.

Z does not have a concept of bad words, but she hears kids talking about so-and-so saying a bad word. Apparently, she has compiled herself a list of bad words, and if you use them, especially if she does not want to hear them, she will let you know.

Here is the list that I have compiled of Z's bad words:

Hate - especially when used in reference to her bad behavior

Ugly - again used in reference to her behavior as in "Z, you are acting so ugly right now"

Stupid - really, stupid is a bad word, but if I see something on TV, like the Friday song that strikes me that way, I usually let that one slip out.

Shut up - usually when Hubs and I are talking and I say, "Shut up, no way!"

Don't  - As in "Don't jump on my couch", "Don't draw on my walls", "Don't climb on the chairs"

No - especially anytime that she is not getting her way

Time Out - furthering the reason to go time out.

Go to your room - in response to an escalated time out

Clean up your toys - what kind of horrible mother am I?

Eat your food - seriously, these are some really offensive words

Mean - in reaction to her actions.

Stop - As in "Stop hitting me", "Stop that's a parking lot or a street", "STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

When she recognizes any of the offensive material streaming from either of our mouths, she rushes into the room and gasps, "Momma, that is a BAD word!" She point her little finger at me and then orders that I go to the corner. It never works out that way, but she really believes that these are bad words.

I am so very grateful that she does not know how truly bad words can be. How words like fat, ugly and stupid can tear down your spirit, can hurt you in ways that fists never could. The emotional abuse that I have dealt with in my life has torn down more of me than the physical abuse ever could.

I hope that it's a lesson that she never has to learn.