The "Sh" Word

For the most part, I am loving our new life as parents of four kids. We've never really had four kids before.

We had two babies.

Then we had two toddlers.

Then we had two toddlers and two babies.

Eventually we had two kids, but still two toddlers.

But now, we have four kids. Independent kids who can do most things for themselves, are capable of listening and following directions, and have the reasoning skills to understand threats when they don't listen. It's a whole new--and much easier--world.

But with growing up comes a certain loss of innocence.

Charlie and Joe had never heard of a "bad" word until they started public school. They soon came home talking about how you shouldn't say the "sh" word -- which I learned was "shut up." Or the "f" word -- "fart." Or the "d" word - dummy. Pretty cute, really. And I agreed with them that we don't say those words. But we don't have consequences for saying them.

This morning, however, the landscape changed. Charlie told Joe: "Say S-H-I-T." Joe was clueless, and obliged: "Shit!" Charlie: "Ohhhh, you said a bad word!!" Joe: "Shit is a bad word?" Charlie: "Shit is a bad word!" Joe: "I didn't know we can't say shit!" And just like that, they both have learned their first curse word. And given the frequency that they violate the rules above regarding "shut up," "fart," and "dummy," we're going to have to deal with this one. I can't have my second graders cussing.

I know this is just a small thing. But it's the beginning. There have been so many sexual abuse scandals in sports lately, and I know that topic--the abuse, sex, or both--is going to have to be addressed soon. Not too mention all the new "bad words" I'm sure they'll be learning in no time.

Maybe this growing up thing isn't all it's cracked up to be.