OT - is this a "bad" word?

[DisGirlAllie]

believe me. Sucks is tame in comparison to some of the things you hear in the hallways of high school

 

[Judy from Boise]

I would never ban stupid either some things are just stupid it is a perfectly good descriptive word. Actually all words have their places and I would never out right ban a word or a book or anything. the key is to know when to use each appropriately and THAT is what I have taught my kids not banning.

This ! Sometimes things suck, lets be honest

 

[sk!mom]

Really?!?! The one time she actually used a word to me in a knowing manor, I slapped her mouth and you know what she has never used that word again.

Add me to those who would rather hear my child use an inappropriate word than teach them that hitting is OK. I do not believe in hitting of any sort but it would seem to me that even those who approve of spanking can see how hitting a child in the face is wrong.


As far as the original question, I don't care for "sucks" but realize that to my children's generation it is a synonym for stinks so I let it go but then I pick my battles carefully.

 

[Longsx3]

Funny story when DD was in 6th grade she came home from school complaining how everyone says bad words and she is not allowed to! How embarrassing she can not even say the "S" word, so we talked back and forth about the "S" word...I am assuming we are talking about S**t. Finally I said DD what "S" word are we talking about...she said Stupid. I tried so hard not to laugh...I finally said you may call something stupid but not someone. It kept her quiet until this yr, DD now HS freshman was saying how uncool it was that she could not use the language her friends do. I don't even like words like freakin or crap...because the meaning is the same. We have come to the conclusion that if she says crap around her friends that it is not then end of the world but I am to never hear it nor is anything any other adult.

BTW I am not prude and I do cuss at times, but I am able to distinguish appropriateness while teens get so comfortable dropping the "F" bomb that it is just part of every day language for them. I do not want that to be my child.

 

[Hannathy]

BTW I am not prude and I do cuss at times, but I am able to distinguish appropriateness while teens get so comfortable dropping the "F" bomb that it is just part of every day language for them. I do not ant to be my child.

See I disagree. My DD has been with the same group of kids since 4th grade and from what I have been told now that they are all in college is they could and did swear with the best of them! that included the 2 Valedictorians of the High school, honor students, Eagle Scouts, gifted Musicians, and the rest of them cursed all the time, YET I never heard a single one of them curse nor did any other parent. They knew when and who it was appropriate to use what language with. People don't give kids enough credit.

 

[Longsx3]

See I disagree. My DD has been with the same group of kids since 4th grade and from what I have been told now that they are all in college is they could and did swear with the best of them! that included the 2 Valedictorians of the High school, honor students, Eagle Scouts, gifted Musicians, and the rest of them cursed all the time, YET I never heard a single one of them curse nor did any other parent. They knew when and who it was appropriate to use what language with. People don't give kids enough credit.

I give kids credit when it is due, but I base my choices as a parent on my experiences. My six yrs working in a High School showed me that it is hard for most teens to police themselves when it comes to language and I was going to do everything I could to ensure my DD did not think it was acceptable to say sucks or worse at school, work or otherwise. Not that I could really control what she said when she was not with me but I could definitely influence her and that I have.

 

[disneykidatheart]

It doesn't bother me, but my son's gr.7 teacher wouldn't let them use it in his class. He made them replace it with "Vacuum"

Several years ago my son's female teacher heard him mutter, "That has all the apparent qualities of a vacuum" (which he heard his father say). She didn't get it and told him to explain himself which he was reluctant to do. When she finally got him to say it the class laughed and then he got in trouble.

It is good or bad, I guess it depends. I think it is crude and hate to hear it most of the time. I think it often sounds juvenile. Bristol Palin has said it each of the last two weeks on Dancing With the Stars.

 

[disfan07]

We were taught that sucks is fine as long as you are not talking about another person. That goes right along with stupid. Now, my brother and I (we're 21 and 24) do say it to each other (along with many other things) but it's in a sibling joking way just like when we would wrestle with each other, etc.

we have both said:
sucks
stupid
freakin'
you've got to be effin kinding me (having saying effin though...not that actual word)
along with other things

These words only ever get said when we are with friends, each other or in our house. We dont use them around other people but they are not banned in our house.

 

[luvmy3]

Funny story when DD was in 6th grade she came home from school complaining how everyone says bad words and she is not allowed to! How embarrassing she can not even say the "S" word, so we talked back and forth about the "S" word...I am assuming we are talking about S**t. Finally I said DD what "S" word are we talking about...she said Stupid. I tried so hard not to laugh...I finally said you may call something stupid but not someone. It kept her quiet until this yr, DD now HS freshman was saying how uncool it was that she could not use the language her friends do. I don't even like words like freakin or crap...because the meaning is the same. We have come to the conclusion that if she says crap around her friends that it is not then end of the world but I am to never hear it nor is anything any other adult.

Last year my when my ds was in 1st grade he came home and told me that a girl in his class said the "C" word. I didn't know what to say, I was totally shocked that a child would say that word. Thankfully the C word in question was "crap" Of course after thinking about it, it made sense because my ds would never even know the C word I was thinking because he has never even heard it before. Crap,on the otherhand

 

[marcyinPA]

It's not a "bad" word, but it's not a nice word either. I discourage my kids from using it, and will give them the "ahem" and the mom look if I hear it, but they don't get their mouth washed out with soap over it either. My kids are pretty good about respecting language and will not say stuff like that in front of me or other adults.

 

[tinkermom23]

believe me. Sucks is tame in comparison to some of the things you hear in the hallways of high school

So, last night I asked DS10. Even though we don't use "sucks" at home, do a lot of his friends use it in school??? He looked at me like I had grown another head!! "Mom, sucks is nothing. We hear everything, including the F word all the time. It's mostly the High School kids but even little kids say it." As I sat there dumbfounded, he said " Mom, you'd so hate school right now."

I know it's K-12 school, but when I walk the hallways, which is a few times a week, I seriously don't hear it! When I asked DS10 why he thought people use bad language he said..." Freedom of speech. We're free to say whatever we feel like and that's what they feel like."