My children have picked up a word from their father and from other Mexican family members that is simply driving me crazy. In English it is a cuss word and a bad one at that. It is in Spanish as well but it used freely. It is most often used in front of chivas which means liar. In English with the words are used together they mean F***ing Liar. The truth is part of it is my fault as well because with their father and me it was a sort of running joke.
Now I don’t use words like that often and to be honest their father didn’t in front of them often either. Things slip out and we made this seem more common than we should have. Now I am suffering though the use of the word {Pinche is the word} when they shouldn’t be using it at all. I try to explain to them that it is simply not a nice word but then they talk with various relatives and this word is thrown around a lot. It is within our Mexican community as well.
I honestly just want them to stop using this word all together but I have no idea how to get them to. It is my own fault! We have a P Jar and they have to put a dollar in every single time they use that word in the hopes that it will help them not use it as often.
![\\\\\\\"\\\\\\\"](\\\\\\\"https://d5nxst8fruw4z.cloudfront.net/atrk.gif?account=r2cEh1aAod000d\\\\\\\")
Oh, dear! I confess that some of the language my son picked up from me, often when I was driving Houston, TX freeways, would make longshoremen and teamsters blush—and those words were in easily understandable English. Many people have the idea that the words themselves are “inappropriate” and spend a lot of time and punishment trying to make their kids never say them. The truth is that they are just words–the situations in which they are used determines whether they are appropriate. At school? NO. In front of Grandma? NO. At the dinner table? *depends on who you are having dinner with–the family? NO. The Uncles *shrug* With the guys in the locker room? *shrug.*
I think we are all guilty of doing this, my best advice is to sit your children down and tell them that the word isn’t nice at all and that God weeps when he hears these awful words that comes from our dirty tongue, my girls were told this and they soon stopped knowing that they made Jesus sad when they spoke such ugliness, good luck
Every parent has been in this situation at least once in their lives. We all let words slip at times and the kids hear them. I think that it is simple enough to let them know that they are not allowed to say the word. We explained that it was a word that a lot of grownups use and when they are 18 they can ask me if they can use it. It will buy you some time, not till 18 but at least for awhile. We explained it like when you are an adult you get to drive, vote, etc and then you can use that word. It worked for us for years. Good luck!
I am surprised that having to put a dollar in a jar doesn’t prevent them from saying the word. How about reversing it and putting a dollar in the jar for every day without anyone saying the word then have a party after x amount of days of no one saying it.
I think everyone has said something in front of their children that they wish they hadn’t. We are human.
Oh wow, it sounds like it would be really hard to get them to stop, especially if people outside your home use it around them. My husband is pretty free with swear words, even around the kids but he has always been clear with them that those are “daddy” words and for the most party they respect that and don’t use the words themselves. Good luck.
I have had this problem before with my boys picking things up from video games their daddy would play or things we would let slip out. We told them that they weren’t good words to use and that worked. Occasionally something will slip but we just remind them.
I am definitely guilty of this. But my kids don’t say those words and they try to get me to stop saying them. I am working on it and it will be a work in progress for a long time.
When my older kids were young I had a cuss jar. It was my own idea as the kids were picking up words from me…usually used under my breath when cooking or something. The worst one for me was $hit. It just came out! So the cuss jar would then allow me to take the kids out for a treat. Sometimes I remember once when going through similar things as you have with hubby, I stood there with money and just let it ALL roll out. And trust me, it was not just the “s” word. My kids were wide eyed and yet giggled. They knew the words were off limits. They laugh now because I would not even let them use the word, stupid, fart, dummy, idiot, poop, etc. I was too afraid they would take those words to church or school so I started the rules when they were VERY very young. We still laugh about that…they did not know how to say an appropriate word for fart then, so they’d OH so seriously say, S’cuse, me…I just gassed. 🙂 Now my younger kids are still pretty good about that, even though a LOT of things have changed between my first kids being born and the last ones…(oldest and youngest is 19 years apart). So much with movies and computer, slang terms at school are so bad. It means nothing to so many kids and parents dont even care. We even had a high school teacher who said “God Damn”, in class, and I was SO mad and offended…but with freedom of speech and religion or NO religion (and I know this man is atheist) it is all too hard to hold people accountable to just being nice and respectful.
I love the jar idea. My son had a problem saying the GD word, as I cannot stand it. My husband has a bad habit of saying it sometimes and well my son picked up on it. It took a while to get it to stop but he now doesn’t use it anymore, and either does my hubby. I wish I would have thought about the jar idea.
I was reading through some of your old posts , and this one made me stop and laugh out loud…our neighbor kids use this word quite often. My husband and I are always being told by their parents that it is nothing bad, just part of their culture…