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When my daughter was about 5 we were on public transit and a bunch of teens were talking near us. Every second or third word was 'fuck' or 'shit'. My daughter asked why they talk that way. I told her it was because they didn't know enough words to say what they meant.

15 years later, she speaks two languages fluently and 2 more at about middle school level. She swears a little, but she knows how to say what she means.

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That's just your victorian judgementalness coming out. It has nothing to do with vocabulary. And it certainly has nothing to do with how many languages your kid knows.

Anyone who grew up with conservative parents rolled their eyes at your post. "Ok dad".

Btw, she just learned to swear when you're not around. And when you eventually find this out, rest assured it's not that you failed her vocabulary, it's just because she met some friends that swear.

Of course she learned to swear from her friends. For better or worse, that's where most people I know learned to fit in with their peers and confuse their parents. That and older siblings who were a little farther along the path toward individuation.

What would you tell a five year old about the reason for nearly content-free conversation?

Bollocks.

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