'Should parents allow their kids to swear?' Mum admits a parenting fail has made her rethink the topic

There are plenty of milestones you look forward to as a parent: first steps, first birthdays, the moment they actually give you a cuddle and wrap their little arms around you.

And then there are the firsts you don't really know how to handle, like dropping the f-bomb for the first time. 

Just last week, I asked my daughter to pack up her crayons and told her to find the pencil case for them. 

"F--k sake," she muttered as she tried to locate the pencil case. 

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I couldn't help but giggle, mostly because of the correct context of using the phrase, but it quickly made me realise I am in big trouble. 

You see, I've been a bit fast and loose with the language I've been using at home, or in the car.

There's been a conscious effort in trying to watch my mouth, and my husband is doing the same, but we're not perfect.

The problem is, while he can keep a straight face and tell her she can't say those bad words, I can't help but laugh and she's noticed.

I know it's so bad, but my reaction is even worse than her doing it. 

When your kid is a parrot, swearing is probably one of the worst things you can do because there's no stopping them repeating it. 

Thankfully, because she is only two, a little bit of redirection means she hasn't said it since, but given she is such a confident talker we need to be careful. 

Obviously I don't want her dropping words like that at daycare, or in front of family – my mother-in-law would be horrified, so for me I'm a firm no on kids swearing.

However, Aussies on the whole are quite divided on whether it's OK or not. 

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An exclusive poll of nine.com.au readers asking if parents should allow their kids to swear revealed some surprising statistics. 

While 64 per cent of the 535 people surveyed said no, 34 per cent responded 'sometimes'. 

Among those who said sometimes, many said it comes down to the age of the child – because of course there's a huge difference in a six-year-old dropping the c-bomb over a 15-year-old offering up a couple of choice words. 

"I think parents should explain to children about self control," one person commented. 

Again, this is where 'sometimes' comes into it, because there is a time and place where it's understandable that a few profanities may fly. 

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"Swearing isn't very nice but use really depends on the context," another person echoed. 

Others suggested it's not fair to have a rule for kids that you're not willing to follow yourself. 

"As long as parents don't swear in front of child, otherwise it's being a hypocrite," one person said. 

Then there's a tiny 2 per cent who said yes, parents should allow their children to swear.

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