Very funny on the swearing. I swear a lot - comes from years ago working in a corporate environment when everyone used it- as you say - like punctuation. Toned it down a bit but of course Adam picked up words.
He was a bit older than Alba when he did this but he went through a phase of asking if he could swear on the way home from school -
for tension relief. Sometimes it would be super loud operatic style singing instead. I used to let him swear for the duration of the 10 min walk home so he could get it out of his system - on the understanding that he wouldn’t swear at any other time unless there was very strong provocation! 15 now and swears with some of his teachers (as in they swear too) at school. Which surprised me initially but actually I don’t mind.
Hahaha! My one year old daughter shouted 'fuck it' at the top of her lungs over and over again after her dad had crashed the gears. Unfortunately, her very staid grandmother was also in the car. We couldn't shut her up and she carried on the entire mile into town. And my toddler son greeted a sheep with ' hello you old cunt' because he'd spent a lot of time with his dad's builder friends. (This is a pathetic attempt to shift the blame because, unfortunately, I swear far more than any builder.) I try not to be sweary around my grandchildren although their parents are very cool about Bad Granny. I am afraid I didn't try that hard with my kids. They learned swearing is a privilege you earn by simply getting older.
This is hilarious! Luckily my one year old can only say ‘Pepper’ and ‘Mama’ so far but I shouldn’t be surprised if she follows your daughter & her sister’s lead. Your son & the sheep just made me laugh out loud.
Yes quite, I think I tried to explain to Alba it’s pretty normal for adults to swear but she just wasn’t allowed yet 😂
Ahahaha I don’t feel like such a Bad Auntie now. Once at a family gathering my then three-year-old nephew was acting up and before I could catch myself I said ‘Ah Theo will you stop being a little bollix’ in the way only an Irish woman can. And his then five-year-old cousin Mary repeated it back word for word. Repeatedly. I spent the rest of the party loudly talking about how Theo was such a SILLY BILLY in a bid to make Mary forget her new favourite phrase…
I had a collie Kim who was given the job of rounding up the family when we went on picnics. One day he fished my three year old brother out of a stream he had tumbled in to. Beats collecting a thrown ball or stick!
The weight of the F-word has changed in my lifetime. In my childhood and adolescence (1959-1977) it was quite taboo in our household. Now our offspring (aged 28 and 30) use it as a largely accepted, if rare, form of emphasis, with us their parents. I suspect that this will continue (but who knows?!)
I loved this Rukmini. Not least because my three year old has also been dropping F bombs (also in context), and you’ve made me feel less ashamed and alone about that. I thank you. 🙏🏻
Ahaha, I’m so sorry you’re going through it too! Reassuring myself as well it is in reported speech only (so far) - the juxtaposition when our girls look so sweet & angelic 🤦🏽♀️
small human and animal overload! Pepper sounds delightful and I love her already. I already fell in love with both your children from earlier posts. Yay Alba! on her way to be a thinking and amazing woman.
Ah thank you so much! Ha, yes not much wrong with Alba's thinking, terrifying now that she starts applying logic back to us. I think she was particularly pleased with herself when we told her she could only have one Peppa Pig branded Vitamin D jelly per day, then for the rest of the day ate ONE bean and ONE piece of pasta etc, saying she was only allowed to eat one each of those per day too. Her negotiation skills are HIGH.
Aah thank you! Yes she is, and she has a great line in floping down in a huff if you stop playing with her (you know, for normal reasons like having to make dinner, or going to bed.) She turns her back, flumps down on the floor with a loud 'hmmmmf!' and starts sulking, it's very funny (except to her!)
My oldest persuaded her two younger siblings that the word chauffeur was a swear word. You know when they were about to employ it because they would quiver with excitement and their tone would drop. ‘You, you, you…CHAUFFEUR!’
Later they would go big on their own insulting terms. If you’ve never heard an outraged 10 year old shouting: ‘Yeah? Well you’re just a Bichon Frise.’ Before slamming out of a room you’ve not lived
That is hilarious. Chauffeur & bichon frise for the win. I’d add in ‘I bite my thumb at you sir’ - will report if any success there (maybe I’d have to yell it at another driver through the window, at the risk of starting a Saaf London turf war)
This made me want to fill my garden with tulips and adopt a Good Girl like Pepper. Maybe one day when we don't have millions of cats... Thanks for the wholesome read.
Ah so glad you enjoyed it! When the kids are at university am determined to go full cat lady with collies, & open a sanctuary or similar. Have def not been spending hours on Inigo looking at remote period properties with outbuildings (which make Tim shudder with their lack of insulation - so unnecessarily sensible.)
Highly recommend running away to the country and having lots of animals. Sensible is overrated.
(Sidenote: I went to the University of Portsmouth. Had I known there was a degree there that involved playing with other people's dogs, my life might have gone in a VERY different direction!)
I NEVER swore in front of my children…. I know I didn’t.
But I remember leaping across the kitchen to yank a tray of fiery toast from under the grill - I said “oh…” stifling the next word which was then supplied by the sweet apparently oblivious toddler on the floor behind me …”bugger”.
Have you read Lessons in Chemistry? I loved reading about Six-Thirty’s learning of words.
I have & loved that! Six Thirty reminded me of Pepper :)
Very funny on the swearing. I swear a lot - comes from years ago working in a corporate environment when everyone used it- as you say - like punctuation. Toned it down a bit but of course Adam picked up words.
He was a bit older than Alba when he did this but he went through a phase of asking if he could swear on the way home from school -
for tension relief. Sometimes it would be super loud operatic style singing instead. I used to let him swear for the duration of the 10 min walk home so he could get it out of his system - on the understanding that he wouldn’t swear at any other time unless there was very strong provocation! 15 now and swears with some of his teachers (as in they swear too) at school. Which surprised me initially but actually I don’t mind.
This is hilarious! I love the idea of controlled swearing for tension relief - and the operatic version!
I love this so much. Adam sounds fabulous.
He is fun! Still swears and is now having singing lessons with an opera singer and the volume coming out of him is immense!
what a guy!
Hahaha! My one year old daughter shouted 'fuck it' at the top of her lungs over and over again after her dad had crashed the gears. Unfortunately, her very staid grandmother was also in the car. We couldn't shut her up and she carried on the entire mile into town. And my toddler son greeted a sheep with ' hello you old cunt' because he'd spent a lot of time with his dad's builder friends. (This is a pathetic attempt to shift the blame because, unfortunately, I swear far more than any builder.) I try not to be sweary around my grandchildren although their parents are very cool about Bad Granny. I am afraid I didn't try that hard with my kids. They learned swearing is a privilege you earn by simply getting older.
This is hilarious! Luckily my one year old can only say ‘Pepper’ and ‘Mama’ so far but I shouldn’t be surprised if she follows your daughter & her sister’s lead. Your son & the sheep just made me laugh out loud.
Yes quite, I think I tried to explain to Alba it’s pretty normal for adults to swear but she just wasn’t allowed yet 😂
Haha, I love the sound of Alba.
Ahahaha I don’t feel like such a Bad Auntie now. Once at a family gathering my then three-year-old nephew was acting up and before I could catch myself I said ‘Ah Theo will you stop being a little bollix’ in the way only an Irish woman can. And his then five-year-old cousin Mary repeated it back word for word. Repeatedly. I spent the rest of the party loudly talking about how Theo was such a SILLY BILLY in a bid to make Mary forget her new favourite phrase…
Oh that’s so funny - ‘silly billy’ definitely doesn’t have the same ring to it 😂
I had a collie Kim who was given the job of rounding up the family when we went on picnics. One day he fished my three year old brother out of a stream he had tumbled in to. Beats collecting a thrown ball or stick!
Aaah what an absolute hero(ine)!
Loved this window into your life. You write it so beautifully.
Ah thank you so much!
The weight of the F-word has changed in my lifetime. In my childhood and adolescence (1959-1977) it was quite taboo in our household. Now our offspring (aged 28 and 30) use it as a largely accepted, if rare, form of emphasis, with us their parents. I suspect that this will continue (but who knows?!)
I do try to tone it down in front of my mum, failing occasionally 😬
I loved this Rukmini. Not least because my three year old has also been dropping F bombs (also in context), and you’ve made me feel less ashamed and alone about that. I thank you. 🙏🏻
Ahaha, I’m so sorry you’re going through it too! Reassuring myself as well it is in reported speech only (so far) - the juxtaposition when our girls look so sweet & angelic 🤦🏽♀️
small human and animal overload! Pepper sounds delightful and I love her already. I already fell in love with both your children from earlier posts. Yay Alba! on her way to be a thinking and amazing woman.
Ah thank you so much! Ha, yes not much wrong with Alba's thinking, terrifying now that she starts applying logic back to us. I think she was particularly pleased with herself when we told her she could only have one Peppa Pig branded Vitamin D jelly per day, then for the rest of the day ate ONE bean and ONE piece of pasta etc, saying she was only allowed to eat one each of those per day too. Her negotiation skills are HIGH.
🤣
Alba has genius level logic/manipulation skills. Love her!
Majestic: only way to describe Pepper!
Aah thank you! Yes she is, and she has a great line in floping down in a huff if you stop playing with her (you know, for normal reasons like having to make dinner, or going to bed.) She turns her back, flumps down on the floor with a loud 'hmmmmf!' and starts sulking, it's very funny (except to her!)
My oldest persuaded her two younger siblings that the word chauffeur was a swear word. You know when they were about to employ it because they would quiver with excitement and their tone would drop. ‘You, you, you…CHAUFFEUR!’
Later they would go big on their own insulting terms. If you’ve never heard an outraged 10 year old shouting: ‘Yeah? Well you’re just a Bichon Frise.’ Before slamming out of a room you’ve not lived
That is hilarious. Chauffeur & bichon frise for the win. I’d add in ‘I bite my thumb at you sir’ - will report if any success there (maybe I’d have to yell it at another driver through the window, at the risk of starting a Saaf London turf war)
I love a bit of thumb biting!
This made me want to fill my garden with tulips and adopt a Good Girl like Pepper. Maybe one day when we don't have millions of cats... Thanks for the wholesome read.
Ah so glad you enjoyed it! When the kids are at university am determined to go full cat lady with collies, & open a sanctuary or similar. Have def not been spending hours on Inigo looking at remote period properties with outbuildings (which make Tim shudder with their lack of insulation - so unnecessarily sensible.)
Highly recommend running away to the country and having lots of animals. Sensible is overrated.
(Sidenote: I went to the University of Portsmouth. Had I known there was a degree there that involved playing with other people's dogs, my life might have gone in a VERY different direction!)
You’ve nicked one of my favourite descriptions about myself “I use appropriate swear words for punctuation” 🫶
Haha, sadly accurate! Must find new words 😭
I NEVER swore in front of my children…. I know I didn’t.
But I remember leaping across the kitchen to yank a tray of fiery toast from under the grill - I said “oh…” stifling the next word which was then supplied by the sweet apparently oblivious toddler on the floor behind me …”bugger”.
Appropriate - but no idea where he’d heard it!
Ahahaha - they do pick up so much more than I had anticipated. I’m just surprised mine hasn’t started saying ‘oh SHIT!’ all the time 🤦🏽♀️
This did make me giggle! And I love the tulips. Riverside bulbs are so reliable and very tempting.
Aah thanks! Yes they are so reliable! Already wondering what to order for next autumn 😬
Thank you for the laughs and book recommendation! 😃💚👍🏼
Glad you enjoyed it!