On Wed, 24 Sep 2003, Karen Watters Cole <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>I tried to influence my girls that “potty mouths” have poor vocabularies,
>obviously not with great success it seems. However, I also noticed that
>my daughter who curses more around men her age does not do this in front
>of her young son, her father or her grandparents. She will, however,
>purposely annoy me, and then twist the knife by using a good vocabulary
>word I haven’t heard her use before. Sigh.
I had fairly good success with my son's teenage entertainment of
such language by pointing out that 1)if he gets into the habit,
he will find it hard to censor himself in situations which require
it, 2) such language is "low class", and reflects badly on a
person in situations where they are trying to create a good
impression, suggesting sloppiness of thought, low education,
lack of culture and refinement, and lack of respect for society
and property, 3) such situations might include conversations with
potential future employers, or business and political contacts
(my son is wonderfully ambitious, in a backhanded casual sort
of way). I think this works because it is the simple truth, and
speaks directly to his personal advantage.
-Pete Vincent
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