10 Words Moms Shouldn't Say - Check Out #3!

This is a cross-post from The R-Word Reporter.  Happy Thursday!

My sister forwarded me an article from Circle of Moms.  The article is called 10 Words to Avoid in Front of Your Kids.  She followed up with a phone call and was so excited to find out whether or not I had read the article.  Thanks for sharing this, Lu!  I think this article is wonderful and I'm committed to helping spread the word.  Check out number 3!!!


Huge kudos to Circle of Moms for this wonderful reminder and especially for including the R-word in this list.  What is so interesting to me is the number of words on this list that we were forbidden from using when we were kids.  I'm grateful my parents taught us that words have power.  What words were you not supposed to use when you were a kid?



Here is what Joey thought of this wonderful article (with one of his favorite men- Richard K.):

10 Words to Avoid in Front of Your Kids

Out of the mouths of babes . . . As parents, we know that anything that's uttered within earshot of our kids is fair game for repetition. And while eliminating all of those four-letter favorites is a no-brainer, there are plenty of others that can be just as damaging. Here, the 10 words we suggest that you ban from your vocabulary in front of your kids.

1. Hate: You might be talking about rush hour traffic, a line at the grocery store, or a bad commercial on TV. But when it's used to talk about a classmate, teacher, or birthday gift, "hate" can be terribly hurtful.

2. Stupid: There's not much that's less appreciated than being called "stupid," and this is one that lil ones tend to enjoy repeating . . . again and again and again.

3. Retard: A word that's so offensive, there's an entire website devoted to banishing it. If you haven't already done so, you should get on board and eliminate the R-word from your adult vocabulary as well.

4. Gay: Unless your child is old enough to have a conversation about homosexuality, chances are, the word "gay" is going to be misused in a potentially hurtful (not to mention, incorrect) manner.

5. Loser: With bullying at the forefront of most parents' minds, putting down someone's self-esteem is something that you, and your kids, should never be a part of.

6. Dumb: See above.

7. No: We know you're not actually going to eliminate the word "no" from your repertoire. But try to limit its frequency. It seems to roll off the tips of toddlers' tongues way too easily.

8. Shut up: Make this a forbidden phrase now to avoid its overuse later. Tweens tend to enjoy overusing it at times when it doesn't even really make sense (think: "He asked her out?! Shut up!").

9. God (as in "Oh my God!"): If religion is present in your home, the word "God" will be, too. However, try not to use it as an exclamation of excitement or surprise. Even if "Oh my God!" doesn't bother you personally, you never know when it will come off offensive to someone else.

10. Bad: Like "no," it's one that's inevitably going to come up, but shouldn't be used excessively. Being told that you're "bad" repeatedly can be totally demoralizing for a child (or anyone, for that matter).