"Bad words"

We don't really call words "bad words". I try to teach my kids that people give words meaning and sometimes, the meanings of words can be hurtful like fat or ugly or that some words are just rude but some adults use them (like the F word).

I try not to place a whole lot of value on those words except to explain that they're considered rude and hurtful and to let my kids know that we don't use rude or hurtful words.

So far I purposfully mishear. As in "What duck? Where? There's a duck? How did a duck get in the house? QUACK QUACK, what the DUCK!" And we did do a whatever you do don't say "tapioca!" and then freak out when he said "tapioca" although that was over calling food "yucky" which grates on my nerves.

My friend did something that I love which I think I might use when ds is older (just turned 3 now) she told her dd that certain words (classic 4 letter words) were okay for adults to say to adults and kids to say around kids, but not okay for kids to say to adults or adults to say to kids.

Which is pretty much the truth in a lot of ways. Folks get upset when they hear kids cursing, but usually don't bat an eye at another adult doing it, but they don't want the adult to turn around and curse at their kid ya know? And as a pp said kids often sit around trying out the words to see if the words themselves are powerful or just the situations in which the words are used.

I don't think it's a problem when kids use those words. Our rule is that you can't swear at people just like you can't name call.