Typical, reactionary carmudgeonry from old people who romanticize the 50’s. Do you really think kids are swearing more? Language values? Think about your language values while you absorb 40 hours of shallow brain numbing tv this week without attempting to understand youth culture.

Carmudgeonry? Try spell check next time. But besides that, Craig has obviously not been in a middle school or high school in recent years. I think the point of the original article is that kids don’t know when to “turn it off.” They think that behavior that is acceptable among their friends should also be acceptable in the classroom, with parents, siblings, among strangers, etc. I am not romanticizing the 50’s, nor do I numb my brain with 40 hours of TV watching. But I do object to is having to hear the “F” word, the “B” word, the “N” word and a myriad of others out of the mouths of 12-14 year olds on a daily basis in my middle school classroom and in the hallways.

I think kids are cussing a lot these days, but you have to understand that, yelling at them wont do any good. You’re going to hear the “F” word and the “B” word and countless other words comming out of their mouths that you don’t like. For instance, I don’t like the way some people dress nowadays, but can I fix it? No, not really, its part of the new trend and culture in America. But I must say children in gradeschool definitly don’t need to be spouting off to their teachers with colourful language such as that. However, in high school, kids are already onery, stubborn and ready to break some rules. If no swearing in class is one of the rules, you can expect them to break it just like they break the ”no cell phones in school’ rule with txting eachother all day in class. Yes, cussing is more of a dominate thing in our society now, but don’t crucify the kids for it, they’re getting it from somewhere…

I have a relative who teaches High School, now she cusses a blue streak more then any kid I’ve ever heard. sometimes I don’t know how she keeps it from slipping in the classroom.

I probably shouldn’t even respond to this, but seeing as how I come from a VERY long line of Irish sailors…..bad language doesn’t even register to me as being “bad”. Obviously everyone has a different idea of what is “offensive”, and we’re never all going to agree on what is officially “offensive”.

Now, it does bother me to hear little kids using swear words, because it means that their parents are using absolutely no self-control over their language when talking in front of-or even with-their children. Parents are about 99% responsible for the language their children use, because they are the people to whom their children are most often listening.

I can recall several times in my own childhood eavesdropping on my grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles, and hearing at least one of them (usually my grandmother) saying “There is a little pitcher with awfully big ears in the room.”

We as adults need to exercise more restraint when speaking in front of our children. Let’s not blame it on television, movies, games, etc. We as parents and adults need to take responsibility for our own language choices before we can expect children to take their own responsibility.

Just my thoughts.