Growing up, I remember many times when we had to turn the channel. We would just be getting into the storyline. It was developing, and we were all in….and then BAM…a cuss word. Dad would grab the remote and turn the channel. Mom seemed to have a slightly higher tolerance, but not much more. I would get so ticked off sometimes.
I can honestly say, I never heard my parents use a cuss word…ever. To this day, they won’t even use the 4 letter “F” word for “flatulation” that rhymes with “Bart”. There was a clear standard set in our home for what was acceptable language, and what was not. That standard was never changed, altered, or lowered at anytime.
I’m not one to cuss, even when I hit my thumb with a hammer…never have been. For one, it’s just too much work to try to have to maintain two sets of languages having to turn one off and the other on depending on what setting I am in. I have a hard enough time with the English language, I don’t need an “English Modified” language to try and manage. For another I try to live out Ephesians 4:29, and for me that includes the choice of words I use.
I try hard to not expose my kids to bad language if I can help it. I do my best to screen movies, video games, and TV shows. Obviously, they hear bad language on the bus and at school, but the standard is always taught in the home. The contrast from what they hear at school and what they don’t hear at home creates talking points for what’s acceptable and what isn’t and why.
How do you handle the issue of cussing with your kids?
How do you monitor the media that your kids are exposed to?
