Makes you wonder how much their kids have to listen to at home aswell not just when they are out in public.

I totally agree. children are great mimicers.they look, listen and take everything in like a giant sponge

it is so important for parents to be really careful about what they want their children to hear or see as they are mirrors of us when out in public or at kindy or school!

Very well written!!! I already have this problem with my 15 month old - he repeats so much!!! I've already warned people around him that they are to take care of what language they use around him because he has a habit of copying words that are NOT words I want him to learn.

Fantastic article OB

Tanya

I know in a way I'm guilty of this. Everytime I see  Angies twins on the cover of mags, I make the comment "their not that cute". I never really thought that comment, directed to a celeb may be be repeated by my children. I'd be completely embarrassed if my children repeated that to Brad and Angie. I'll definitly be more careful in the future!

Great story,  fantastic advice and a good reminder to all of us...thanks

Some people can be so rude.  Old men are sometimes the worst!  I remember being in the supermarket at the age of 11 with my baby brother in the pram.  I looked older than I was, but certainly not that old, because I overheard the man in the queue behind me commenting to someone about how disgusting it was that there were so many teenage mothers these days.  I was so embarrassed that I never again enjoyed taking him out on my own again with the innocence of a child who just loved spending time with their sibling.

The next time it happened I was 24 and married with 2 children, but actually looked a lot younger than I was.  I turned around to the old man and asked how dare he make assumptions about people he doesnt know, that I was happily married and financially well set up, that I was raising my children with good manners so that they dont make fools of themselves like he just did.   I showed him up as the silly old man he was, and everyone else in the queue smiled. Karma.

I agree entirely - children these days are much more aware, and in some ways are older than children used to be.  My 5 year old loves watching 10-12 year old programs so I know that anything we say in front of him is absorbed - even if we dont realise at the time.

On boxing day he asked me 'mummy, what is trunk on beer?' of course he had overheard me telling my husband off the night before for having a few too many on xmas day.  He thought I had said 'trunk'! It was a big wakeup call for us both.

Also, re ugly babies - my middle child looked like troll with scary long hair that stuck straight up.  He is now a beautiful 22 month old who is photographed everywhere we go!

This is a brilliant article.

Hear! Hear!

What an awesome article. COuldn't be closer to the truth if you tried. Excellent.

 Excellent advice, we are our children's teacher and should be a respondible role model.

Cheers Janice

this article couldn't be more truthful if you tried, i swear alot and my girls are around some of the time and happen to hear me say these things and now my 3rd daughter has started to parrot me also

i didnt realise how much i swore until she started, maybe i deserve the kick up the butt lol

great advice OB

Great article!!

Great article, I didn't realise how much I swore until Anthony repeated it one day. The first time was funny then realisation hit home and immediately I changed the way I spoke and what I said. I didn't want my son growing up being rude abnoxious and a potty mouth. Our little parrots, as much as we love 'em they will always repeat things at the most inoppertune time.

Once again great work. xx.

 Great article. 

children learn from us for sure,we need to guide them in the best posible way...they are mini me's!!!! great article, well written..

Great article! I am not at the repeating stage yet, but i have recently become very aware of how much i swear and the way i say things. I am trying to curb what i say when he is around and also trying to keep everything positive. I realise that he is listening and learning everything from me and i dont want a negative, nasty or rude child. Hopefully i will be able to teach my little man how to be a lovely, warm-hearted young man.

The only thing I can ever remember blaming my kids for when I was the guilty one was an accidental stinky fart in a checkout line: OMG that nappy smells aweful! ROFL Mind you, some kids do just come out with stuff all on their own, but punishing a child for repeating your own words, that's just wrong on so many levels.

It is upto us to teach our children how to be sensitive and what is appropriate to be said.  If I had of been there, I would have gone right of at the mother for punishing her child for what she herself had said.  Being sensitive to all parents is important as the job we have is the hardest in the world.

Great article OB, as usual!

I am with you 110% on this one OB.  Whenever I hear kids say that sort of thing, I am thinking, what the heck goes on with your parents?!  Sure there are little slip ups, the odd naughty word or whatever, however the topic you have brought up is far too common place.  Good on you for writing about it.

Our Youngest was born with Craniosynotosis and has what he calls an "oval head". After many visits to the Childrens Hospital and a skull reconstruction at 6 months old we have developed a real understanding of how insensitive people can be. N is now in prep and even in kindy other children would make comments to each other about him not knowing you were the parent. Some of the things they say are from an adults vocab so we don't blame the children as they are not born with tact. we hope their parents can at least teach them that.

Great article.

Oh that poor lady with the baby she must have been absolutely devestated.  

I can never understand why some people need to be so cruel as to voice such derogatory opinions like that in public.  Least they could have done was waited until they got to the car and then discussed it between themselves.   There is a time and a place for such things and they certainly don't sound like they have any concept of this.

You did very well not to say something to the parents of the little boy - I might have had I seen them smack their child for something they said.  

Well done for this bit of advice Lavinia xxxxxxx

 so well put  ,our children learn from us .To me all babies are beautyful  no matter what

I have a saying I often heard when I was a child, and I use it now OFTEN! 
Little pitchers pour lots of water!   Every parent knows that this is true.  And I also was told as a child if you say a baby is ugly you will be cursed with ugly babies.....but that of course never pertained to any child I have ever seen I think all babies are beautifull.....Its more than looks it is in the innocence of their big gummy smiles.  The people who said that are just mean spirited, unhappy people period.  My heart goes out to their son to have to be raised by uncaring parents!

i can't believe that a person could be so verbally cruel towards a child and then have the cheek to blame their own child!!  as parents we should set an example, and a good one at that!!  children listen to their parents, it's in their nature they look to adults for guidance, and follow the lead we give them, whether that be good or bad!

as a nurse working with the disabled i have come across similar circumstances, very often arising from a lack of understanding.  for example, people very often talk to the person assisting and not the person in the wheelchair. i have had to bite my tongue many times, but in the circumstance you described i'm sure i would have found it extremely difficult.

You really gotta think before you open your mouth. Kids are our vocal radars, and you WILL get stung if you say the wrong thing.

Great article.    Cindy

Hi oz,

Great article - I've always taught my kids that no-one is ugly and that everybody is an individual.

Cheers Alana