How to Address Other Children saying "OMG" around My Children?

[pensmama87]

As of this week, I’m back in the babysitting game. So far it’s been going pretty well. The kids are a bit older so I only have them for a couple hours after school - two boys, 6 and 8. They are for the most part sweet, they listen well, and play nicely with my kids and are respectful.

They do have a habit of casually saying, “OMG” (the whole thing.) I don’t think my kids have ever even heard that phrase before. My boys have not repeated it. I didn’t say anything the first time because I was taken aback (for some reason I didn’t think kids that young would say it - I have no idea why I thought so, probably just being naive. At any rate, it’s probably uttered 1-2x per day by one or both of them while they’re here.) I know I need to say something and soon because I want it to stop ASAP.

Would you address it directly with them or with their parents, and how would you do so? The family are secular Jews. They know we are Catholic.

I would normally say, “We don’t use that word/phrase in our home,” but most of those would be things almost anyone would find offensive (or at least be unsurprised by). Maybe I’m overthinking it. I’m willing to be told so.

 

[pensmama87]

I’ll admit to being extra skittish too because of an experience with a four year old girl I watched a couple times. At pickup, she asked about the font at the front door. I said, “Oh, it’s for holy water,” and she asked, “What’s ‘holy’?” Whoops. Her mother was glaring daggers at me. I wasn’t their babysitter very long.

 

[LongingSoul]

The way I would do it is next time one of them says it, I would diplomatically say “House rule boys… we don’t use that saying because it’s using Gods name in vain” and then leave it at that… or you might have to do little reminders until it sinks in. Or offer them a replacement expression like holy dooley or holy moley. I wouldn’t bother telling the parents. The kids will probably tell them anyway at some point.

 

[Karen107]

Like the previous poster I would use it as a teaching moment. It takes a village.

 

[zamyrabyrd]

They may hear it on TV, or just about anywhere, including from their parents. It is SO hard to buck popular culture.

 

[Techno2000]

As of this week, I’m back in the babysitting game. So far it’s been going pretty well. The kids are a bit older so I only have them for a couple hours after school - two boys, 6 and 8. They are for the most part sweet, they listen well, and play nicely with my kids and are respectful.

They do have a habit of casually saying, “OMG” (the whole thing.) I don’t think my kids have ever even heard that phrase before. My boys have not repeated it. I didn’t say anything the first time because I was taken aback (for some reason I didn’t think kids that young would say it - I have no idea why I thought so, probably just being naive. At any rate, it’s probably uttered 1-2x per day by one or both of them while they’re here.) I know I need to say something and soon because I want it to stop ASAP.

Would you address it directly with them or with their parents, and how would you do so? The family are secular Jews. They know we are Catholic.

I would normally say, “We don’t use that word/phrase in our home,” but most of those would be things almost anyone would find offensive (or at least be unsurprised by). Maybe I’m overthinking it. I’m willing to be told so.

Since when has this become some kind of curse word,I use this phrase all the time, I would think that only people it would offend are Atheist .

 

[Oneofthewomen]

Since when has this become some kind of curse word,I use this phrase all the time, I would think that only people it would offend are Atheist .

I wondered the same thing?

I have a dear friend, a very old Sister of St. Joseph, who, when she is exasperated, says “Jesus, Mary & Joseph!”, just like her sainted Irish mother did, and the good sisters who taught her many moons ago.

I dare anyone to tell her she is taking the Lord’s name in vain!!

 

[Techno2000]

I wondered the same thing?

I have a dear friend, a very old Sister of St. Joseph, who, when she is exasperated, says “Jesus, Mary & Joseph!”, just like her sainted Irish mother did, and the good sisters who taught her many moons ago.

I dare anyone to tell her she is taking the Lord’s name in vain!!

My Grandmother used to say the samething

 

[1ke]

Since when has this become some kind of curse word,I use this phrase all the time

ditto

 

[bitterhope]

They way I address these situations is two fold. First, I tell the kids that in my home, that is something they are not allowed to say. It’s very possible that it’s a habit and they will need time to break it. So I don’t strictly enforce for those things, just remind them it’s not allowed at my house, unless they blatantly start saying whatever phrase it is out of defiance. Each time you hear them say whatever phrase you dislike, offer an alternative. For instance, they say “OMG did you see that?” I would chime in “You mean holy cow did I see that? Yes I did. Awesome job jumping across the driveway!”

I also talk to my kids about it. I make sure they understand that I don’t like that phrase, why I find it unacceptable, and let them know what punishment goes along FOR THEM with that offense. With my own children, I strictly enforce this in order to prevent a habit forming in them. I let them know it’s because I love them and need to make sure that they grow into adults that can properly speak without the use if offensive language. If they don’t like that they are punished for something the other kids are not, I let them know that as a mom I have certain responsibilities and as a babysitter I have different responsibilities, and I perform those responsibilities as needed. Honestly the kids will need to get used to that sort of thing in life anyway. They will run into it many times for different things.

It’s been my experience that talking to parents doesn’t have much affect mainly because this is a habit in the kids. If it were severely offensive cussing (four letter or similar) I would bring it up with the parents though.

 

[bitterhope]

I wondered the same thing?

I have a dear friend, a very old Sister of St. Joseph, who, when she is exasperated, says “Jesus, Mary & Joseph!”, just like her sainted Irish mother did, and the good sisters who taught her many moons ago.

I dare anyone to tell her she is taking the Lord’s name in vain!!

I feel the same way but it is alright for a babysitter to set boundaries on phrases they dislike. The priest that is at my current parish says it all the time as well.

 

[UbiCaritas]

Hmmm. Where and when I grew up, it wasn’t uncommon to hear adults or kids use the phrase in question, but I was also taught that it was taking God’s name in vain and a sin, so I didn’t. Still don’t. In thinking about it, I’m not sure that it is a violation of the second commandment, but I still don’t like it, and wouldn’t like it said in my house or by my kids.

Me? I’d say something like, “We don’t use that phrase in this house because it’s disrespectful. Try saying X or Y instead.” Don’t make a huge deal out of it, but if you catch your kids using it, explain to them why you think it’s disrespectful and wrong, preferably without making the other kids out to be bad kids for using a phrase that they don’t know better than to use, or which is an ingrained habit.

 

[Techno2000]

I feel the same way but it is alright for a babysitter to set boundaries on phrases they dislike. The priest that is at my current parish says it all the time as well.

The Question is how in the world could this be so disliked ?

 

[pensmama87]

I wondered the same thing?

I have a dear friend, a very old Sister of St. Joseph, who, when she is exasperated, says “Jesus, Mary & Joseph!”, just like her sainted Irish mother did, and the good sisters who taught her many moons ago.

I dare anyone to tell her she is taking the Lord’s name in vain!!

It’s more that it’s a casual disrespect of God’s name, inserted in wherever in conversation. Among religious people of any stripe around here it’s considered in poor taste to say. Most of the people I do hear say it are not religious at all.

It could be a cultural difference. At any rate, it’s very uncomfortable to my ears and not something I want my children to say casually.

 

[Techno2000]

Hmmm. Where and when I grew up, it wasn’t uncommon to hear adults or kids use the phrase in question, but I was also taught that it was taking God’s name in vain and a sin, so I didn’t. Still don’t. In thinking about it, I’m not sure that it is a violation of the second commandment, but I still don’t like it, and wouldn’t like it said in my house or by my kids.

Me? I’d say something like, “We don’t use that phrase in this house because it’s disrespectful. Try saying X or Y instead.” Don’t make a huge deal out of it, but if you catch your kids using it, explain to them why you think it’s disrespectful and wrong, preferably without making the other kids out to be bad kids for using a phrase that they don’t know better than to use, or which is an ingrained habit.

OMG can mean just a generic deity.

 

[UbiCaritas]

OMG can mean just a generic deity.

At the risk of splitting hairs, my God is, well, God. If the kid wanted to say “By Zeus!” I’d probably chuckle and get a kick out of the classical reference, but I’m hazarding a guess that most kids are referring to my God in the commonly accepted term. Like I said, it’s not something I’d lose my mind over, but I don’t like it, either.

 

[Dorothy]

When I was taught as a little girl it was explained to me that we shouldn’t say OMG if we accidently stub our toe, hit our finger when hammering, or break a glass accidentally, etc. We would be doing it as an exclamation and not as a prayer.

On the humorous side, my mom was babysitting one evening as my husband and I went out. One of our children said, “Grandma, there is a big bug walking up the curtain!” She was always terrified of big bugs
and said OMG!..and then the child said, “Grandma you’re only supposed to say God’s name when you’re saying your prayers!”

 

[pianistclare]

I wondered the same thing?

I have a dear friend, a very old Sister of St. Joseph, who, when she is exasperated, says “Jesus, Mary & Joseph!”, just like her sainted Irish mother did, and the good sisters who taught her many moons ago.

I dare anyone to tell her she is taking the Lord’s name in vain!!

DH is from Ireland, and this is his go-to phrase as well.

 

[Techno2000]

At the risk of splitting hairs, my God is, well, God. If the kid wanted to say “By Zeus!” I’d probably chuckle and get a kick out of the classical reference, but I’m hazarding a guess that most kids are referring to my God in the commonly accepted term. Like I said, it’s not something I’d lose my mind over, but I don’t like it, either.

I’m kinda glad to hear people say it ,and it makes me think that maybe they at least believe in God.

 

[PhiloMed]

Just try replacing it with something really different that they will only use in your home.

How about Bazinga?

Anything. Holy Doodleboop. Kids love a made up word.

While this one doesn’t bother me personally, I can relate the being annoyed by something like this. My son is taking to saying “Huh?” And his little sister is picking it up too. I’m working on breaking that habit of it kills me.