"Freakin' Crap"

So, lately I have been having an ongoing conversation with Gavin regarding an expletive that I sometimes use (Caleb uses it too, but not as often as I do). While this is not the worst thing that I could say in times of annoyance, it has somehow become much worse in my mind after hearing it come out of the mouth of my 3 year old. And after all we aren't New Yorkers so we don't have a lot of harsh language in our current vocabulary. The first time that Gavin said it, I think he just repeated it after hearing me say it. At the time Caleb and I both downplayed it in an attempt not to laugh and thinking that he wouldn't probably say it again, didn't feel the need to draw attention to the phrase.

Well, last week while riding in the car, we were stopped at a stoplight and Gavin and I had the following conversation:

Gavin: big sigh "Freakin' Crap."

Mom: reproachfully "Gav, you don't need to say that."

Gavin: "I do need to say freakin crap, Mom."

Mom: "No, you don't. Do you even know what that means?" wrong question to ask a preschooler

Gavin: "Yeah Mom. Freakin crap means when the other car will not stop blocking our way. So I need to say freakin crap."

Mom: "Well, that is not what it means, so you don't need to say it anymore. It is not nice."

Gavin: "Mooom, it is nice. I do have to say freakin crap."

Seeing no point in arguing further, I let it drop so that he wouldn't keep finding a way to fit it into every sentence.

Later that night he says to me "Mom, are you going to say freakin crap anymore?"

Mom: "No Gavin. I will try not to say it and you shouldn't either."

Gavin: "Well, I am still going to say freakin crap, even if you don't say it anymore."

Great, that is exactly what I wanted to hear... And in keeping with his word he has found times to say it whenever he seems to think it necessary. Each time with Caleb and I telling him to stop, and that it isn't a nice word.

Finally, yesterday we have this argument while I am painting and he is hanging out just talking my ear off.

Gavin: "So, Mom, Do you think freakin crap is not a nice word?"

Mom: "That's right. It isn't nice and we shouldn't say it."

Gavin: "But freakin crap is a nice word Mom."

Mom: "No, Gavin. It isn't."

Gavin: "But Mooom, I already told yeh. It is a nice word. You need to listen when I tell you somethin about saying freakin crap."

At this point I could hardly argue for having to hold my breathe so that I didn't laugh out loud, which would only make him think that I agree with him. All of these conversations just make me look forward to the much worse phrases that he will probably come home and try out on us in the future. I guess it is a good thing that I have now been put in check to watch what I say.

Geesch.