I've got a question for your parents: would you rather your kid learned a euphemism for the f-word or read about rape and murder? Go ahead, I'll give you a few seconds. It shouldn't take long. In the meantime, you might want to steer clear of the New York Times.
In a disagreement with website STFU Parents this week, the Grey Lady, she who has long proclaimed herself the place to find "all the news that's fit to print" has revealed its decision that it's not "fitting" to print even the vaguest references to curse words lest they "offend" the venerable newspaper's "younger readers."
Essentially the New York Times has just informed the parents of America that it is far scarier that our kids learn a euphemism for f--k than that they read that three American soldiers were murdered for no reason (on the front page of the website yesterday) or about the man who chopped an 8-year-old boy up into little pieces and stuck him in the freezer (child killer Levi Aron made the NY section yesterday).
Excuse me, parents, if you think the latter is better, please do not send your child to play with mine. I'm not ready to tell my 7-year-old why evil men kill 8-year-old children.
I am OK with a conversation about why certain words are not appropriate in polite company. In fact, we had it just this week. She said "hell" and when I told her it was not a nice word, she mentioned the TV show Hell's Kitchen which her father and I both watch. It developed into an interesting discussion, and we both came out enlightened.
These conversations are what euphemisms were made for ... because we do have to sanitize certain adult things for children, but we can't make them all go away. I find it rather insulting to my intelligence that the Times -- of all places -- is telling parents they can't handle a conversation about the term STFU.
The paper's "policy" came to light this week only because of a story that made reference to STFU Parents' tagline without credit to its source. Blogger B was understandbly upset and wrote to the paper asking for credit for her words. As a writer, I was annoyed on her behalf. As a parent, I'm incensed by the response that they blatantly refuse to use a euphemism for the f-bomb in an effort to protect kids ... even while they told B "Granted, we aren't the parents of young readers."
That's right, newspaper editors are not the parents of our children. Their jobs are to convey the news in a relatively classy way -- hence the use of a euphemism rather than the actual expletive. Our job is to police what our kids read, hear, and see.
So, I don't let my 7-year-old read The New York Times. She isn't ready to learn what happened to poor little Leiby Kletzy at the hands of Levi Aron. But if she hears the name LMFAO on the radio, I'm not going to scream and cry and call the FCC. I'm going to tell her we don't say f--k ... at least not in front of Grandma.
What do you think of the Times' extreme take on protecting our kids from curse words?
Image via GranniesKitchen/Flickr
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Comments 43
I love the "at least not in front of grandma" part! My kid says darnit and what the heck frequently which I repeatedly tell him that he needs to say less because it doesn't sound nice. He has dropped the f-bomb a couple times and was discplined for and told that that's a word that we should try not to use. I would much rather him drop a bad word though than know about all the sick and twisted things going on in the world these days. He's much to little to comprehend that there are evil demented murderers out there. My 3-year-old is to little to understand that saying the f-word sounds unintelligent so I suffice to say that it just isn't a nice word.
10 to 1 every child is going to hear a cuss word a time or 2. People in public who are chatting do not care what they say or who hears them. I am known to cuss and I am trying to change. It is hard being in public listening to all the potty mouth's out there. We have a swear jar here in the house. :) Sometimes it is a hard habit to break, especially when you grew up in the military and well sometimes that is just the way it is. :) We are a work in progress. I can say though it doesn't feel pretty or attractive when we say cuss words at all.
You're ok with your 7 year old saying the f* word just not around grandma? That's sad.
I don't get how printing a letter is the same as printing the word. The "F" could stand for what ever parents tell thier kids it stands for. I'm not going back to the NY Times, and I love STFUP.
Teens that do not cuss are few and far between and as a parent I choose not to give these words power, so my kids know them, but they also know they are not of age to use them. I have never had an incident with them cussing, I obviously do not allow them to cuss, but I am realistic and I want to be the one to teach my kids about these things, not the 12yr old neighbor. We tried to lay a strong foundation in the upbringing of our children and profanity is not part of that foundation, but realistically we do need to introduce them to the real world and realize that at some point in time they are going to cuss. I refuse to raise bubble kids who think the world is made of rainbow and unicorns where everyone deserves a trophy, and everyone believes everything they do is great, because realty will eventually slap these kids in the face, and it will be our fault that we did properly prepare our children for the real world. Lastly, I do not believe education has any bearing on whether you cuss or not, it seems to commonplace in our overly laxed society. It’s safe to say that in 2012 you probably can’t go a day without hearing “fuck” somewhere, no matter your socioeconomic background because it’s everywhere.
I don't use curse words. I think constant swearing makes a person look stupid. Of course when I'm alone and one is needed I have been known to let them privately fly. I took my now adult children to movies probably when they were no more than five where the F word was inserted here and there. I knew they were going to hear it anyway. Now that they are grown they use bad words as needed but, their vocabulary is much bigger than these few four letter words.