"When are we going to find a damn parking spot?" says my 7 year old daughter.

[LeeH]

So... we're heading off for a family hike this morning, GPS in hand for a little Geocaching. The trail is very close by our house, but lots of people show up on the weekends. Parking is along the side of a road. We drive all the way in and don't find a space. To get another shot at a space we have to go all the way out and come back in since you can only park on one side of the street. Rangers are ticketing those who've parked anywhere but the legal spaces.

As we're heading into the park for the second time our 7 year old asks, in the most calm, quiet, and almost thoughtful voice, "When are we going to find a damn parking spot?"

Did she just say what she thought I heard her say?!?? Everything I've read says not reacting is the best course of action. Neither my wife nor I say a word. The hike was great. We tracked down our "treasure chest" with no problem. Later my wife and I discussed/laughed about this and since both of us are sure she's never heard us say something like this we figure it must be something she read. Anyone else have a similar issue? How did you handle it with your kid?

[Joeaksa]

Find the next "damm parking spot" faster next time!

[red-beard]

That would have given me a taste of ivory

[widgeon13]

Really don't think you have to worry until she starts asking for you to "pass the ******* butter"

Seriously, if she happens to use the expression again a gentle correction is most likely in order.

How did you keep from busting out laughing???

When I was a kid my sister and I were riding with my father and mother in the car. My Dad asked my sister to do something and she didn't move quite fast enough for my fathers satisfaction, she was asked a second time and responded, "Hold on, don't cream your jeans". This was before seat belts, my father hit the brakes so hard I thought my mother was going to go through the windshield.

Well, my sister never used that expression again. Can't beat good parochial school education.

[targa911S]

I'm with Wayne on this one.

[Jeff]

You should have a talk with Don Davis'. I think he's behind this somehow ;-)

[KFC911]

It's Bush's damn fault ! Who knows where she picked it up in this day & age, but at least it wasn't the "f-bomb". I'll admit that I don't talk like a preacher, but growing up (my parent's were/are VERY strict, conservative types), I never, ever let something slip out...I probably wouldn't be around to type this if my dad had heard it.

[Taz's Master]

My response was simply to say, there is nothing inheritantly evil or bad about what you said, it is after all only a word. However, words like that show a tremendous amount of disrespect to the people who can hear you. When you are with people who you love, or people who would be offended by language like that, using words such as "----" is inappropriate, and I don't expect you to show such disrespect to your family again.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

"When one of these f*cking retards hogging them decides to get off their fat asses and leaves".

[strupgolf]

If the trail was so close to your house, why didn't you just walk there. Good exercise, good family time, and no parking problems. But then she might have said, "are we ******* there yet"?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

"When one of these f*cking retards hogging them decides to get off their fat asses and leaves".

Lee, Maybe you should consider blocking Pelicanparts from you daughter's pc when she get's one .

[Jeff Higgins]

When my oldest son, Chris, was about two we were riding home from church with my mother-in-law. Some jerk cut us off, causing her to slam on her brakes and honk the horn. His clamly removed his pacifier from his mouth and said "ass hole" just a clear as a bell. We rode the rest of the way home in silence...

[RRico]

Rotflmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

"When one of these f*cking retards hogging them decides to get off their fat asses and leaves".

My wife just read this thread... you win for cracking her up the most!

Originally Posted by strupgolf

If the trail was so close to your house, why didn't you just walk there. Good exercise, good family time, and no parking problems. But then she might have said, "are we ******* there yet"?

Close, but not walking distance... it's about a 10 minute drive to the trail.

[jluetjen]

I'm with Wayne. Calmly explain the standard. Without judging your particular choice of words, when you start hearing your kids respond to you with language that you use -- it's kind of freaky. My wife and I always used the expression "The tape recorder is on" as soon as my daughters were born, it's amazing what kids will absorb and then repeat back later.

BTW, there used to be a boy in their day-care who would swear like a sailor at his mother when she was picking him up from school. It's really sad to think of what their home-life must be like!

[Drago]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

When my oldest son, Chris, was about two we were riding home from church with my mother-in-law. Some jerk cut us off, causing her to slam on her brakes and honk the horn. His clamly removed his pacifier from his mouth and said "ass hole" just a clear as a bell. We rode the rest of the way home in silence...

Having met Chris I find this not surprising at all.

He is your son afterall.

Then again, my wife swears like a sailor.

[johndglynn]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

When my oldest son, Chris, was about two we were riding home from church with my mother-in-law. Some jerk cut us off, causing her to slam on her brakes and honk the horn. His clamly removed his pacifier from his mouth and said "ass hole" just a clear as a bell. We rode the rest of the way home in silence...

LOL. Whenever my kids have said anything like that as little ones, they have done it with a heavy Irish accent so that's me done for. Doesn't happen much but makes me laugh a little.

As far as I'm concerned, when they are growing up it's all just using the language, if you keep them from experimenting and using some words they just go OTT with them in later life. A chat about it usually stops them from going there again - ignoring it is not a good plan as they will use it on their teacher next and then you'll be for it!

My kids all have excellent vocab, quite stunning some days and they are mostly not interested in using 'Daddy words'. But if they slip out once in a blue moon, I've not got a huge problem with it as long as it's in context - not gratuitous - and just between ourselves. There are bigger things to worry about. I get more upset with their using meaningless mass-market lingo they learn on teen TV shows - not that I ever did that myself LOL.

[Flatbutt1]

Whenever my kids used words like that it was usually due to me or some other influence. I used a gentle correction, explained why and apologized whenever they heard me say it afterwards.

[LeeH]

We're pretty sure that it came from the Harry Potter books. We're going to discuss that there are some words that aren't appropriate, but not tie the discussion to the event. If something like that comes out again we can tell her that she just said one of the words we were talking about.

We were driving to a friends house on Halloween when she asked what "Effing" meant while reading a Harry Potter book. She spelled it out E-F-F-I-N-G; that's how it was written in the book. My wife just said it was a made up word and told her to keep reading.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Drago

Then again, my wife swears like a sailor.

Hmmm... not with me...