Should parents let their kids curse?

Lifehacker surveyed both everyday parents and experts, and received a range of responses.

While one mom says she never swears in front of her daughter and was dismayed when she said, “What the heck,” yet another mom said she swears “all the [deleted] time” in front of her 7- and 10-year-old. She adds, “They can say whatever they want at home, but they know many people consider certain words ‘bad’ and don’t like to hear them—especially from kids. They have been generally really good at keeping that distinction, as I do at work.”

As for the experts, Messiah College associate professor Erin Boyd-Soisson urges parents not to overreact to their children swearing, explaining to Parents.com, “Your kid will be less likely to say it again if he sees you don’t find it amusing. Stay calm and say, ‘That’s not a nice word, and we don’t use it in our house.'”