There’s a time and a place for swearing, but it's not around kids. Despite that, the occasional curse word is going to slip out accidentally from time to time! And no matter how diligent of a parent you are, it’s very likely that your little munchkins will pick up a few inappropriate words outside of home, too.
Here at Bored Panda, we’ve collected some of the most amusing and hilarious internet posts that parents shared about kids and cursing on X (formerly Twitter), and they’re bound to make you giggle. Check out the best of the best below, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that you vibed with the most.
We reached out to Samantha Scroggin, who runs the brilliant ‘Walking Outside in Slippers’ parenting blog, to get her thoughts on swearing. Check out the insights she shared with Bored Panda below.
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We asked the creator of the witty 'Walking Outside in Slippers’ blog about a good way for parents to respond if they overheard their children using swear words. "I have some experience in the area of finding my kids cursing, as my 12-year-old son is apt to lose his temper and mutter or yell a doozy," Samantha told Bored Panda in an email.
"He has ADHD and the self-control issues that come with it, so it’s not as simple as telling him not to curse. Plus, I am rather fond of curse words myself," she said.
"I think there is a time and place to let the occasional curse fly. And those words should never be demeaning, racist or sexist. I think a gentle reminder that certain language is not appropriate in front of others should suffice in most situations."
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According to Samantha, if she found out that a child who hung around her kids kept using curse words around them, she would ask them not to use that sort of language. Of course, this would be done gently.
"If they can’t listen despite the reminders, maybe it’s time we find some other friends to socialize with who are more respectful," she told us.
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From the mom's point of view, curse words really do have a time and a place in life. However, it's important to remember moderation. "I think curse words are an effective stress reliever, and just plain fun to say," Samantha shared.
"Other people think it makes them funny or cool. I would say too much of just about anything is not a good thing. Including curse words."
According to Healthline, swear words can have a powerful positive effect in some instances. For example, swearing can help us tolerate pain better in situations where we’re hurt. On top of that, cursing can help us build emotional resilience as well, especially in cases where we might not have any control.
Referring to one study conducted by researchers at Keele University in the UK, Forbes suggests that swearing may reduce our perception of pain by causing emotional arousal.
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Psychiatrist.com points out that swearing can not only reduce our perception of pain, but it also serves as a distraction to pain and discomfort. In other words, some timely cursing helps us handle physically and emotionally tough situations much better than if we were to suffer in silence.
Meanwhile, swearing isn’t just about expressing anger either. Coming up with unusual insults can show off someone’s creativity and love of languages. On top of that, in some social circles, cursing can actually help you get closer to the other members of the group. It’s a way to fit in with them. Curse words can also show our genuine feelings about a particular situation.
Unless you live under a rock or in a tiny community far away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, you won’t avoid curse words. And even then, you might soon find yourself developing curses for when something bad happens or you hurt yourself.
Even something like ‘gosh darn it,’ ‘oh, fiddlesticks,’ and ‘holy baloney, this fudging situation is a total dumpster fire of a mess’ can sound harsh if you have nothing more powerful or crass to compare it to.
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Truth be told, anything can become a swear word if you put enough emotion and emphasis behind it. How we say something, not just what we say, matters a lot. Our tone of voice and body language can turn even the most lighthearted ‘dagnabbit' into something that would make even the saltiest sailor blush with embarrassment.
[Redacted], [again, redacted], and [still redacted] might objectively be regular sounds or signs on a screen/piece of paper, but how people use them makes them profane and unsuitable for the public.
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Kids are going to be kids. They learn through repetition. So, don’t be surprised if they copy everything that their parents, teachers, relatives, friends, and classmates do. It’s how we all learn about the world.
We do something and then see what the consequences are. It’s how we learn about what society finds (un)acceptable.
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How we react to hearing curse words is going to shape how the people around us, especially the little ones, use them. For instance, someone who’s lauded for using swear words is probably going to feel hip and cool, respected, and accepted by the crowd.
Meanwhile, someone who gets chastised for being unnecessarily rude will probably learn to avoid them altogether… or to use them when their parents aren’t around.
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Realistically, you probably won’t get your children to avoid swear words unless you explain why it’s impolite to use them in public. Something that’s taboo and forbidden is always going to draw some people in.
Outright ban something, and you make it all the more appealing. With that in mind, it’s better to talk about the reasons why using profanities might not be the best idea. For example, if your kid realizes that their friends’ parents might not let them play together if they keep cursing, they might swear off (put unintended) profanities altogether.
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Swear words are all about letting everyone know about our emotions and state of mind. In some cases, they can add some much-needed friggin’ emphasis to your ideas. They exude authenticity.
But much of their power lies in their rarity. If you curse too much and pepper every sentence with profanities, you’re going to reduce the effect. Now, even the most expletive-riddled story is going to feel mundane to anyone who knows you. In short, save the swearing for when it’s actually needed. Like when you accidentally smash your thumb with a hammer.
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What’s your policy on using profanities, Pandas? Do you avoid them all the time, use them sparingly, or embrace curse words because they’re an unavoidable part of language? What would you do if you caught your kids swearing?
Feel free to share your thoughts and parenting experiences in the comment section!
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