The F Word

This post has been mulling in my head for quite some time.  I’ve had a hard time putting my thoughts in a cohesive manner, so I apologize for the delay.    First of all, this is a post where I admit some of my flaws.  This isn’t particularly easy for me, to I have to do it nonetheless.  So, here goes.

During the last week of school, Keith called me at work to tell me that Kasey got off the bus crying.  Apparently, a 12-year-old on the bus taught him the F word and Kasey repeated it.  The bus monitor heard them and made them sit in separate seats.  Once he got in the house, Keith gave him a good talking to and took away his iPod, video games and TV for four days.  Once I got home, I gave him holy hell, too.  I explained to him that the F word was one of the very worst words you can ever say and that I didn’t want to ever hear about him saying it ever again. 

Now, here’s where I admit that I am one of the worst with swearing.  Everyone says that, when Kasey goes to bed, I turn into Trucker Erika.  While I try to not swear in front of Kasey, I still do sometimes.  Luckily, for the most part, he knows what words are really bad and what words aren’t.  If he isn’t sure, he’ll ask me first if it is a bad word.

The next day, while at the sitter’s, one of the kids there told Kasey’s sitter that he said the F word again, but this time in a different context.  Of course she told me and Kasey immediately started crying.  When we got home, I had no choice but to take away his iPod, video games and TV for three more days and he lost toys altogether for four days. 

So, for four days, all he could do is read, write and color.  I think this “punishment” made all the difference.  Not only has he not said the word again, but he actually did things that challenged him for four days.  Here’s to hoping that we nipped it in the bud (though I doubt it).