How do you talk in front of your kids?
Posted by Adie on November 26th, 2008. Filed under: Family Matters.A neighbor of ours has this really strange habit of talking in a loud voice even if the person she is talking to is just in front of her. What’s worse, she talks as if her kids are not there, listening to her.
I was looking out the window when I heard her a few hours ago, talking in her usual loud voice. She was telling another neighbor about another neighbor’s mentally handicapped kid. The kid is mentally retarded, is actually already in his late 20s, and is always naked inside their home. Our loud neighbor was telling everyone who would listen that she saw the kid playing with his penis. This she said in a vulgar way, the Tagalog word of “playing with his own penis” is really crude.
I almost turned away when something caught my attention. Her kids were in front of her listening! With all the cuss and crude words she used, I wonder if her kids even know half of what she’s saying. And if her kids are repeating the crude words she carelessly utters in front of them.
I remember my mom once uttered an indecent word in front of me. I repeated it to a classmate when a teacher overheard me. She immediately called my parents and told them about it. My mom was so ashamed and never repeated it again.
I wish parents are more careful when talking about sensitive topics in front of their kids. And careful in saying words that they don’t want their kids repeating in front of company.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:57 am
I think you’re right: it’s very important as parents to set the right example. My mother always told us crude words gave us an awful taste, and made us wash our mouths to get rid of it.
To this day I still get an awful taste whenever I use an unpleasant term, so I almost never do.
Also I think it’s an unpleasant habit to use crude words.
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November 28th, 2008 at 9:43 am
ay, ang bastos naman. She knows the boy is retarded, she should not talk about that unless matino na may ginawang di maganda.
Children can absorb easily and observant. It’s hard for them to forget the situation. I agree, parents should be careful about this matter.
November 29th, 2008 at 12:35 am
You are so right about this. We parents have to be so careful about what we say in front of our children. As the old saying goes, “Little pitchers have big ears.”