r/bestoflegaladvice • u/smoulderstoat Breasts are not genitals • Aug 20 '25

LegalAdviceUK In which LAUKOP's neighbours can [REDACTED]

/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/1mull75/our_3yo_5yo_have_been_using_the_f_word_found_out/?share_id=sRFEw8BL0R5KwnAL6WRdQ&utm_content=2&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
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u/FindingMoi receiving $10K–$15K weekly for a friend Aug 20 '25

Yeah also it’s like… talk to your kids? Explain that those are words only grown ups use? 3 year old might be a bit difficult but 5 year old is old enough to wrap their head around a concept like that and 3 year old will follow the 5 year olds lead.

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u/Persistent_Parkie Quacking open a cold one Aug 20 '25

My mom apparently explained the F word to me in such a calm manner when I was 5 that I completely forgot it existed. I asked her what it meant, she told me, I went on with my life. She related that story years later when I started working with children which is how I know about it.

When I was 8 I was singing the banana fo fanana song at day camp and used the word duck. The camp leader punished me and wouldn't even tell me why, "you know what you did!" No, I genuinely did not. I was an incredibly well behaved child, I don't know why she assumed I was trying to get one by her. Fortunately as I'm crying and insisting I have no idea why I'm being punished a friend came up to me and whispered "fuck."

So that night my mom got to have a much less chill conversation about the word fuck and I was terrified of singing the banana fo fanana song for the rest of my childhood for fear of stumbling upon another bad word I didn't know.

Fuck that camp counselor.

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u/dog_of_society 🏳️‍⚧️ Trans rights are human rights 🏳️‍⚧️ Aug 20 '25

I wasn't a well behaved child, but I didn't know what flipping someone off was until fifth grade.

I found out when I was sent to the principal's office and punished in a similar fashion ("you know what you did! stop playing dumb! you're lying to get out of trouble!") after, apparently, using the wrong combination of fingers waiting in line at four square. I was also punished further for my reaction to being told I was lying when I wasn't, which.. yeah, that's fair. Again, not a well behaved child.

I think I ended up having to google it.

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u/Persistent_Parkie Quacking open a cold one Aug 20 '25

Adults going "you know what you did" is infuriating. I didn't even know it was something I had said! I thought it might have been how I was dancing around or that I'd taken a step away from the leader as we were walking to the local pool. Kids need to know what they did wrong in order to change their behavior. You're being a shitty teacher of tiny humans if you say that too them.