Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Words Repeated By Children


There are certain things one restates
When in the company of children

And then there are those,
That lose all potency, when a softened
Stance is struck

There are certain things
That kids these days
unexpectedly repeat

They’ll spin back those nasty verbs
The ones you didn’t think
 they could’ve overheard

And oftentimes, they’ll use such terms
When an argument ensues

But instead of admonish them
You cannot hold back the red
And demand they repeat back what they just said

For there’s something inherently funny
when vulgarity is spoken by
innocent girls and boys

oftentimes, such a riot
you cannot remain quiet
and your laughter quickly turns to tears

which of course
is something children hold so dear,
that is, the sound of elation in you they’ve caused
so, unfortunately they’ll surely use such words again, if only to regain your delightful applause.

And so, to compensate
you create made-up languages to replace such words
Or simply become that parent that always and forever spells



8 comments:

  1. that first time you hear it it will def set you back...and maybe make you laugh, ugh though on the things kids pick up and repeat without really knowing what it means trying to fit it into context of something....

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  2. Ah yes, there is something a bit funny (and shocking, I think!)when you hear vulgarity spoken by a young child for the FIRST time. After that, not so funny! And spelling doesn't work for very long... A true-to-life write.

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  3. hahahaha oh so true, they pick up on the littest things even when you don't think they hear you. Made up words I can do quite well, so thankfully that is in my favor, but yeah spelling sometimes comes due. I have to spell out walk when I say it near my sisters dog or he'll want to go haha

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  4. What a fun read...just had this happen with my 5 year old and couldn't stop laughing to correct him. True-to-life write that had me grinning!

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  5. we had a cure for this over here called 'the mouth rinse' . . . it involved a bar of soap and i was
    a victim . . . but it taught me a valuble lesson
    lacking in educations of 'the kids of today' . . .

    if your gonna call your old man a *%&$!!!

    make sure he has run out of cleaning products
    or its time to start chewing the bar!!!

    great write fred . . .
    neat thread of dude! :D


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  6. There's something very cool about ending on the parent who spells - it also reminds me of the parent who spells for the other - takes on the duty - in this case the duty of not using bad language. A fun poem (yes, it's not really good to encourage kids in this direction--though kind of hard to protect them.) k.

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  7. Very fun read. I think kids are smart enough to figure out the made up words too. I definitely find it funny though. I know someone who is a preschool teacher who, when the kids are singing "Where is Thumbkin?", has them all pause on the third verse to show off their "tall man". It's pretty cute when a three year old makes that hand gesture with a big grin on their face. :)

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