Is It OK to Swear in Front of Your Kids?

My short answer? F*ck yes! I think it is.

The longer answer is that swearing is a normal part of how people actually speak. It is part of real conversation, real emotion, real frustration, and real humour. Pretending otherwise does not magically remove those words from the world your kids live in.

I am not an expert on parenting. I am a Canadian author who has raised three kids, written a humorous book about a boy who thinks his mom swears too much, and lived through plenty of moments where a word escaped before I could stop it. I do not think that makes me reckless. I think it makes me human.

I see swearing as context dependent. A word shouted in anger at a person is very different from a word used as an expletive when you stub your toe, miss a turn while driving, or tell a funny story to a friend. Why do we stress more about the word itself than the context it was used in? I’ve met lots of people who use socially acceptable words to be completely horrible to the humans around them, haven’t you?

Of course, my kids noticed when I swore. Sometimes they called me out on it, other times they let it slide. When they did call me out, I would explain that in that moment, my choice of words fit exactly how I felt. That is a conversation that mattered more than pretending the words had never been said.

Did my kids ever repeat words they probably should not have? They did. Two of my three (now grown) children swear regularly. One never swears at all, which I still find fascinating. Exposure did not turn them all into the same person. It just gave them context.

What mattered to me far more than the word itself was intent. Were we hurting someone? Were we being unkind? Were we using language to tear someone down? All of those, to me, are unacceptable. But a stray expletive used as a descriptor or a release? That just feels like a big part of normal life.

I also think kids are smart enough to understand boundaries. Grown up words exist. School rules exist. (Grandma rules definitely exist!) Explaining where language fits, and where it does not, felt far more useful than trying to erase words entirely.

This belief is actually what led me to write my book. It is a fun family story about a boy who hears his mom swear and cannot believe his ears! He and his brother decide it is their job to fix her behaviour. The story is playful, warm, and rooted in the idea that parents are human. It is an easy story to read to kids of all ages, as THAT word never appears on the page. The real humour lives in the moments that spark Mom’s reaction.

Because that is the part that matters to me. Not the word, but the moments. The shock. The laugh. The reminder that the moms who say those words are still loving, present, deeply invested parents.

I am not here to convince anyone to swear more. I am also not interested in judging people who choose not to swear at all. But here’s a fun article claiming that moms who swear are the best moms! I could not agree more! Kids benefit from seeing real adults. Not perfect ones, not filtered ones.

And if you enjoy humorous books, funny family stories, or honest reflections on modern parenting from a Canadian author, you might enjoy following along as Mom Dropped the F Bomb makes its way into the world.

You can join my newsletter, the F-Bomb Files, where I will be sharing early previews, progress updates, illustration news, and details about the upcoming launch. No spam. Just real stories and the occasional perfectly timed naughty word.