"Mama? Why is B-I-C-H a bad word?"
My head snapped up to look across the counter at Spence who was having his after-school snack. All the while "Logical Ali" is screaming inside my head, "Be Cool! Be Cool! Be. Cool. You want him to come to you with all his questions and concerns; and he won't if he thinks he's going to get in trouble."
So, I say, "Wow. That is a bad word. It's a very, very ugly thing to call a girl."
"Why?"
So, we discussed it (during which time I craftily discovered who taught him this word, too - now, I've got my eye on you, potty-mouthed kid...). I also told him there was a time people might use it when it wasn't a bad word - if they were talking about a female dog. But, I emphasized, people might not know what meaning he was using if he said it, so it would just be best if he never used the word. Ever.
He understood. I answered all his questions. I felt like the lines of communication were open and healthy at the Johnson house. Parenting Win!
And, then I said...
"But, it's spelled b-i-T-c-h."
As soon as it was out of my mouth I thought, "Wow. Did I just correct his spelling of a cuss word?!" I think I forfeit my Parenting Win.
