What could be wrong with letting my 7-year-old watch a classic family sitcom every night before bed? The trouble, as you might expect, stems from the star’s very name.
![](https://itsthesway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/dvd.gif)
When you hear the nickname for Richard, you immediately (and unfortunately) think of a part of the male anatomy. And because I was always careful to call the show by its full name, I never thought of how my daughter might be representing her obsession in public.
Not until my husband tried to change up her bedtime routine, and I heard “But I can’t fall asleep without Dick!”
Full. Body. Cringe.
Is this child telling her teachers that she goes to sleep with Dick every night? That she loves him? Should I send a letter? Am I making too much of this?
This is not the first time I’ve had to ask myself this question.
My husband has a potty mouth (ok, so do I) and when our daughter was first born, we made a conscious effort to curb the F-bombs. And because we were binge-watching Battlestar Galactica over my maternity leave, we adopted the word “Frack” as our F-word substitute. We thought we were so clever — until our 10-month-old kid began talking up a storm.
![](https://itsthesway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bg.gif)
We were returning from a trip to the grocery store and a group of neighbors were gathered in the adjoining driveway. As a bag spilled out of the car, strewing its contents across the pavement, the kid showed off her newfound skills with a perfectly timed “OH FRACK!!”
Except it didn’t sound like Frack. In full Christmas-Story glory, my sweet little carseat baby shouted a perfectly pronounced F-Bomb.
The gasps were audible.
And the stares and glares from the neighbors are forever etched in my brain.
I tried to laugh it off, but I fear I will forever be known as “that mom” of “the potty-mouth-baby” in the neighborhood. Let’s just hope she doesn’t talk about her obsession with Dick next time the neighbors are out.
This piece was written by a member of The Sway community who is remaining anonymous for obvious reasons. What has your kid said or done in public to make you look terrible? Tell us at hello@itsthesway.com