Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Is Flunk a Bad Word?

You know the moments in life you hope desperately to avoid? The 1st One has brought it to my attention that I will have many a minutes like this in my life.

In the 1st One's sweet innocence the other day, she tells me the book she is reading has a bad word in it. Thinking to myself, "What is she reading?" I decide to ask her what the word is. She spells it for me. "F-L-U-N-K." Wow, OK, well. I explain though this word is not a bad word, no one likes to flunk. I lamely try to give her a definition she will understand. She insists that her teacher said that is was a bad word. I think for a minute......"Well, it sort of sounds like a really bad word, but flunk is not a bad word." Her reply, "Oh, (insert F-bomb here) is a bad word!" I finish hyperventilating, knowing that all my children have now logged that word somewhere in their sweet little heads to be used as ammo in the future. I say that yes, she is right. "Sweetheart, that is the worst swear word I know of. So much so, that Mommy has never said it. Please don't ever say that again. OK?" Amazingly enough, she has been very mad at me for the last few days, but has not used that lovely word. I am counting my blessings.

11 comments:

Screwed Up Texan said...

Nice story. If she uses the word on you, sic your funny friend on her.

Stacy said...

Yeah, that's a fun word... Logan's first word at age two was "truck" although it sounded like THAT word! We only knew that he meant truck because we were driving down the road and he was pointing at a real truck!

Nancy said...

Just yesterday we were talking about swear words and Abe was lamenting that he doesn't even know what swear words are . . . only that he's not supposed to say them. At least your daughter knows what she isn't supposed to say. Of course it might have been just as good to tell her flunk was a horrible word -- then that is the worst she could call you.

Oh, and like your friend Stacy, Penny's version of truck isn't pretty.

Jess said...

I think you handled that very nicely! I don't know what I would have done!! lol

Flea said...

Oh MY. I'll bet you never do hear her say it. When my kids drop those bombs, I usually explain to them exactly what the word means. Takes the fun and mystery right out of it. Heh.

Unknown said...

LOL... I remember the first time my child said the "F" word.... He was 2. Looks like you are doing a MUCH better job than I did!

The Antiques Diva™ said...

I'm thinking that "flunk" might be my new cuss word... It gives one the impression of saying something naughty but they're not.

When I first moved to France I misunderstood the French word for "latter" - "plutard" to be the very similiarly sounding word which means the "F" word in French. Somehow I never rectified this in my mind and for years confused them... needless to say this posed a number of problems. As a result of my struggle, my husband and I joke and say "Oh Later!!" whenever we're mad. It always breaks the tension!

orangemily said...

Blessings indeed!

Jen said...

Good save. Hayden went through a period were that was the only word he would say. This was when he was 2 and Jeff and I were watching a movie with it in there, alot and had no idea he was behind us. Oops.

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA That is so funny. I'm sure that word will be brought up later when you're in church. :)

TNT's nephew was in Sunday school class and the teacher brought in a TV with VCR to watch a short video. The nephew shouts, "What the H%ll is that for." In Sunday school.

imbeingheldhostage said...

I recently heard a word come out of my 2 year old's mouth that I KNOW is never used in our house. There were three very guilty brother's standing by when I had a fit though.