What's your opinion on swearing in front of kids?

[turbo]

I think all the old classic movies are free of vulgar words. I don't remember folks like Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, . . . . using vulgar language.

They HAD to be, or the censors would not have allowed them to be released in the US. It was not until a rating system was devised that any level of profanity beyond "damn" was allowed in US films.

 

[Astronuc]

They HAD to be, or the censors would not have allowed them to be released in the US. It was not until a rating system was devised that any level of profanity beyond "damn" was allowed in US films.

True - but then I don't think that cursing or swearing has made a movie better - perhaps more realistic (whatever realistic means in the cinematic context) - but not better.

 

[baywax]

True - but then I don't think that cursing or swearing has made a movie better - perhaps more realistic (whatever realistic means in the cinematic context) - but not better.

So, its ok to drink, smoke, shoot and kill, maim, rob and beat people in front of your kids (at the movies) but swearing is (or was) strickly censored.

 

[raolduke]

Profanity spices up a movie.. "Ignorant" people swear and a movie must relate with the vocabulary of the targeted audience. We can't have people not being able to follow a movie because they don't understand a character's expression.

No but seriously.. I find my self swearing when I feel things, that upset me usually, that I've never felt before. For many years I tried to stay away from using curse words but now since I started using alcohol more frequently it just seems appropriate to use the word **** or **** every other word.

 

[turbo]

I try not to use profanity apart from an occasional "damn" or something scatalogical (especially when describing politicians), but let me whack my thumb with a hammer or drop a big piece of firewood on my toes and something spontaneous happens (think of the little kid in "Christmas Story") only perhaps with a few adjectives tossed in for effect.

 

[GoldPheonix]

Hmm..

Ok, just wanted to know what you think.

Are you against swearing?
Are you against swearing in front of children?

Particularly if No and then Yes, Why?

Whenever I hear of discussion topics like these I think: What, have all the children stopped dying? Have all the poor been fed? Have all the tyrants stopped their genocide? Have all the animals been fed and the Earth's ecosystems gone into flourish? Should we really squabble over something as confoundedly stupid as the utterance of sounds? Has the human race really come down to that?

Every child has heard the f-word by the age of 9. Every child has heard every other one of them by their parents before that.But I really have to question the inherent silliness of being offended by words whose definitions you control. What is a word? A word is a symbol of an action or idea; when the symbol becomes more powerful than the action, I see a problem. People are afraid of their kid hearing the sound and syllables of the word "f***" and yet completely ignore the violent content of that same movie? To allow oneself to feel a complete sense of fear because of an utterance of a sound that you control its meaning --that's just silliness.

Be afraid of the what the strong emotion behind the word means, not the word itself. Don't be afraid when your friend looks at you and says "f*** you," be afraid because of what that means in real life. Getting all worried because someone says "oh, f***" is just a pointless waste of emotion to me.My thoughts, anyways. No offense to those who are offended by swear words.

I dislike swearing (though that makes me a hypocrite, since I do).

I strongly frown upon swearing in front of children.The reason for behaving ourselves in front of children is because it is all our responsibilities to set a good example - in all things, not just swearing.

Set a good example by not being uselessly violent to people, by not hurting others, by taking care of responsibilities, by speaking your thoughts concisely and rationally, by always showing them love and teaching them to love others, and encourage them to be intellectuals and hard workers.

I can pretty much count off about a thousand things that would be more important than not swearing in front of kids that are probably swearing when you have your back to them.

In the grand list of human behaviors that concern me, torture and genocide are near the top. Swearing in front of children ranks nearly last, right above men wearing ladies' panties in their bedrooms.

Amen!

Who really cares? Having a definite potty mouth will offend some people with weak sensibilities, so you should probably discourage your kids from swearing like sailors. At the same time, your kids are going to hear the words everywhere, so it's a pretty stupid waste of your time to somehow try to shelter them from such words completely.

- Warren

I agree entirely. My mother stopped me from hearing the f-word until I was in about 5th grade. (I was home schooled)

Hasn't stopped me from saying it now.

True - but then I don't think that cursing or swearing has made a movie better - perhaps more realistic (whatever realistic means in the cinematic context) - but not better.

I disagree; swearing can be humorous or even artistic in context. This can certainly add to a movie beyond realism.

Though I must admit, I abhor the movies made from the 30's through the 70's where the whole world ends up all right in the end. Call it realism or cynicism, but I prefer to be entertained with serious thought for a few days than to escape reality for a few short hours.

So, its ok to drink, smoke, shoot and kill, maim, rob and beat people in front of your kids (at the movies) but swearing is (or was) strickly censored.

That and sex, yes. Yeah, the world would be such a better place if we could only stop sex and swearing.

 

[Integral]

My problem is to get my 13 yr to quit swering in front of me.

 

[baywax]

My problem is to get my 13 yr to quit swering in front of me.

Still young enough for the duct-tape treatment. Have you tried Clorox? They use it regularily in public pools.

 

[GoldPheonix]

Still young enough for the duct-tape treatment. Have you tried Clorox? They use it regularily in public pools.

What the hell is the duct-tape treatment? 0o;

 

[octelcogopod]

I agree with GoldPhoenix to a degree, but also disagree on some level.

Some words carry a force, a force which is great for unleashing in frustrating times. I think the world needs curse words basically.
I know I do.
I don't curse that often but when I do I usually mean it.
In that regard I don't think we should curse in front of children.
Not that we can stop them from learning those words probably quite early, but we as parents or older brothers should not wildly curse in front of our young ones, both because of the effects it might have later on in their life if they curse in front of the wrong people, but also because in this world cursing like a sailor is not really admired, and in the wrong setting that might be important to the child later on, it can haev a negative outcome for them because they don't have the sensibilities that others do in that situation.