# Is "Eat Me" a bad word?



## maymorales (Dec 9, 2006)

I can't figure out. Ds says it when he's mad and then he'll say it casually too. I'm hoping this is just his favorite catch phrase right now and he'll get past it.
sorry, just a mini-vent.
it's a little ...







at the grocery store when he says "eat me" while pointing to the cashier.
ETA: should I ignore and not give him negative reinforcement with a reaction? what type of correction would you implement?


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## fairyandgnome (Dec 12, 2007)

Well I think it depends on how he uses it.. if hes playing and says in a monster voice "eat me" I would say no.. but if he is doing it as in.. the way your dh does.. then yes. I would ignore it to ds .. any attn to it will spark ds intrest and it wont stop.. Also.. I am going through the mocking stage right now to with my son.. ask your dh to stop saying it till this stage is over at the least.. usually around 4 the mocking will completly stop.

So thats the best advice/ example I can give you.. I hope it helps
I had a friend who decided to get mad at her dd everytime she said a bad word instead of stopping it from the source (In this case moms dad) and her dd really got her attn one day when she called the Dr a " Dumny A$$" and then told the preacher he was a "Punk A$$" and these werent all ther phrases she knew.

ETA: For some reason when I first read this I tought you said he got it from your DH.. I am sorry for that.


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## mean_jeannie (Mar 3, 2007)

I think I would have to tell my ds that that was not a nice thing to say, at the very least when he is saying it TO someone! That would be my maximum "reaction" - expressing disapproval of the phrase.

And I agree with pp, that I would try to fingure out where he got the phrase from and have them stop it, but largely ignore it when possible.

My dh has a terrific potty mouth, but he really is working on cleaning his act up - ds is only 20 mos and hasn't started mimicking all words yet, but that time will come, lol!


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## maymorales (Dec 9, 2006)

I'm not sure where he got it from. It's not one of those things dh would say. Maybe my dd or other kids at the play gym.
Right now, it seems to be a phrase that he applies to just about everything because it has two words rather than one. He is using it to express everything that requires more than one word. I noticed he said "eat me" to tell me that his sister had whacked him (by accident) with a stick.
fascinating, our toddler's language development.


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## alexsam (May 10, 2005)

How old is the child? I think if he is "still little" (under 3 or so?) and he clearly does not understand the "meaning" of it, I wouldn't make too much of a deal about it. I would say it wasn't polite and see if that was enough. "Eat me", to be offensive, kind of needs to be said in somewhat of a snide or laviscious way. If it's said by a bouncing toddler, I think more of an innocent game, and I think most people would not be particularly offended. That said, I'd still try to put a damper on it by supporting polite interactions....


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## frontierpsych (Jun 11, 2006)

I guess it depends on who he says it around and his inflection with it. Personally I think it's cute, I know I wouldn't be able to stop myself from laughing. Oh God, my kids are gonna grow up to be such potty mouths!


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## LilyGrace (Jun 10, 2007)

I would be mortified if that came out of one of my children's mouths. First, because I wouldn't even know where they would have picked it up, and second, because I find it extremely vulgar and rude. If I was on the receiving end, and the parent stood by and did not even acknowledge the inappropriate action, I would be extremely offended and think a lot less of that family. To me, it's the same degree of revoltion I'd feel if a 3yo said F*ck you! and the parent ignored it.

I think as a parent, an apology to the clerk is most certainly in order, and a word to the child - that is not appropriate. You may not say that here.


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## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

My daughter has picked up a few phrases and words I wish she didn't know.

First thing is that I think you've got to realize that he's just parroting somebody else. He doesn't understand precisely what that means. So I wouldn't get too upset because it's more the fault of whatever adult is saying it around him than his own fault.

Second, personally I don't like giving words that much power or making my daughter feel like any words are completely taboo, however I want her to understand that people will not react favorably if she talks in certain ways. There have been times where she's said something and I've said, "I know grownups sometimes say that, but people are going to react badly when a 5-year-old says that because people aren't used to hearing 5-year-olds say that word. You might want to either not say that word, or only say it when other people aren't around." I don't make a big deal about it, but she seems to understand and so far she hasn't chosen to continue with that kind of thing. I know we've just been lucky so far as far as that goes, so YMMV.


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## editmom (Dec 6, 2006)

My sympathy. When DS was 22 months we hit a dear coming back from a trip to the grandparents who lived about 250 miles away. We apeant the night at a motel as the car was not fit for a child or a pregnant me to ride in. FIL met us next day and traded cars so he could drive broken one alone. He asked son what happened and he said "f'en dear" I was mortified. So, they do pick up all kinds of language and sometimes use it appropriately. in context. I would ask him to say something harmless like oh sugar or something. Give him a new exciting phrase. Oh snaps and buttons I have also heard.


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## KBecks (Jan 3, 2007)

I think it's a vulgar phrase. I would tell him it's not a nice thing to say and ask him to speak nicely to people instead.


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## purple_kangaroo (Feb 20, 2006)

I would definitely consider it right up there with "bite me" as not-so-nice language.

With my kids, so far it's been effective to explain to them that language like that makes people uncomfortable and hurts their feelings, so we don't say things like that to people. I try to offer appropriate alternative ways to express whatever it is they are trying to say.


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## rainyday (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LilyGrace* 
I would be mortified if that came out of one of my children's mouths. First, because I wouldn't even know where they would have picked it up, and second, because I find it extremely vulgar and rude. If I was on the receiving end, and the parent stood by and did not even acknowledge the inappropriate action, I would be extremely offended and think a lot less of that family. To me, it's the same degree of revoltion I'd feel if a 3yo said F*ck you! and the parent ignored it.

I think as a parent, an apology to the clerk is most certainly in order, and a word to the child - that is not appropriate. You may not say that here.









: If I were working in a store and a child pointed at me, said "Eat me" and the parent ignored it, I'd be pretty offended. It sounds like this is a pretty young child, and I don't think a harsh reaction is needed, but isn't part of our job as parents to teach kids which things are appropriate and which aren't? Ignoring it when your child who's learning language says something offensive is tacitly teaching that that phrase is perfectly okay. With my own child, I'd calmly say something like "That's not okay to say to someone. It sounds very rude. Please don't say it again." Repeat, as needed.


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

I think it's just tacky. I think swearing a lot is tacky too though and some don't mind. I say shit and the like if I hurt myself or drop something...

the "eat me" comment. Ew. I think it's yuck and doesn't belong anywhere lol. I would tell them it's a yucko thing to say and i'm not even sure what it really means.

I remember my cousin telling his mom once, he "ate her out" at the age of 13. I almost barfed, seriously. but this from a boy who's dad bought him a playboy calendar at his 16th birthday.

But I would agree about the younger kids saying it like a monster eating someone....mine do that. But there is no question in which manner they are saying it.


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