Damn it, children should learn profanity the old-fashioned way -- from their parents!

So my daughter came home tonight from her public-schooled neighbor's house. She casually flipped me the bird and said, "This isn't a 'bad word', is it, mom? Because my friend said it is -- that can't be right!" I explained to her that it is a very vulgar gesture, one that only the lowest of low-lifes use...people who don't know how to use words to express themselves with class and respect. Blah blah blah...

Well, my daughter had apparently been quite embarrassed not to have had this bit of information under her belt, particularly because she tried to actually do the gesture that had been described by her friend -- "You mean THIS?" At that point, her friend's big sister came out of the house and told my kid off, and later her mom called me to tell me my daughter had "flipped the bird" at her daughter. I called back and explained that my daughter had actually never heard of this prior to HER daughter telling her about it...sigh.

The funny part was my daughter saying, in an accusatory tone to me, "Mommy, you should have taught me this. You homeschool me. I didn't know this was a bad word."

I guess I have to add curse words to my curriculum.