In a groundbreaking study conducted by an international team of researchers specializing in business, social science, and psychology, a revelation has emerged that many overwhelmed mothers across the globe have long understood: Swearing could be an indicator of authenticity! Well, holey sh*t! Can I get a resounding A-freakin’-men?!
The two-part investigation found that individuals who frequently incorporate profanity into their speech are often doing so to express their emotions more effectively. The more someone swears, the more likely they are to be truthful. “The consistent results across studies indicate a strong positive correlation between the use of profanity and honesty,” the research states.
I’ve often been told throughout my years of motherhood that I say exactly what others think. “I love your candor!” they say. Maybe it’s because, while I was sharing the brutally honest and often uncomfortable realities of parenting, I inadvertently sprinkled in a fair share of F-bombs. Phrases like “Nursing is a total nightmare!” and “This hurts like hell!” along with “My toddler is an absolute handful!” and “No way am I going to miss my kid when they start school!” likely contributed to their observations. Well, now I have science backing me up, folks. And you’re welcome for making you feel completely normal.
As I enter my 19th year of motherhood, I can’t help but think about how I would have navigated some of those grueling, mind-numbing days without the ability to candidly express my feelings, even if it meant dropping a few curse words. When you’re wandering around your chaotic home, feeling like a zombie, doesn’t it feel more genuine to say, “How the hell did I end up here?” Absolutely! So go ahead, ladies: Let your authenticity shine through! Honesty is indeed the best policy.
I also recognize that my free use of honest language has inevitably influenced my four sons, who now have quite the colorful vocabulary. And guess what? I’m totally fine with it. In fact, I’m more than fine, because once again, research supports my position. A study published in the journal Language Sciences suggests that individuals who can adeptly use curse words tend to have a richer overall vocabulary.
I’ve seen this firsthand; one of my sons, despite his penchant for expressing his teenage frustrations with a barrage of expletives, excelled academically, scoring in the 99th percentile on his college entrance exams. His vocabulary was far beyond that of his peers even at a young age; it just didn’t get “colorful” until adolescence.
Now, I don’t allow my teenagers to unleash a torrent of obscenities at inappropriate times—like in church or at their jobs. Thankfully, they’ve inherited my knack for using such language judiciously. They know when it’s acceptable to say “This is such bullshit!” and when to keep those thoughts to themselves.
I’m grateful that in a time when most teens retreat to their rooms and keep their feelings bottled up, I’ve fostered an environment where they feel comfortable expressing their real thoughts. If that means they need to start a conversation with “Mom, some crazy stuff went down at school today, and I have to tell you about it,” then bring on the salty language, because I’m here to listen. I pride myself on being that honest.
Perhaps if we embraced a bit more honesty in our daily lives, we wouldn’t have issues with “alternative facts.” Imagine a news report that drops an honest F-bomb or two; now that’s a broadcast I wouldn’t miss.
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In summary, embracing the use of profanity as a means of expressing honest feelings in motherhood not only fosters openness but also enhances communication with our children. As research suggests, swearing can signify a deeper honesty, and as moms, we deserve to voice our truths—colorfully and authentically.