Things our psychologist disagrees with

She says bad words.

It should be known that I like to cuss. Bad words are the wind in my sails, the grass at my feet, the fuel for my soul. I know a lot of good moms and they would not think highly of me and my love of such words. I'm sure they'd say this is proof of my limited vocabulary. To them I say, "You needed more proof?"

A little over a year ago we stopped at McDonald's on a road trip. We needed milk shakes. My then 12-year-old daughter had extremely limited English at that time. She was quite concerned about the trip to McDonald's. Why were these stupid Americans wanting to drink "milk shit"? Idiots!

We laugh about this regularly. Today my 4-year-old asked for a "milk shit" in public. I felt no shame. I gave her a fist bump.

I think it's hilarious when my kids say naughty words. I laugh like a 13-year-old boy every time I hear it. (Except the eff word. The eff word isn't cute.) My kids aren't the smartest kids around, but they know that cuss words are only funny if you use them on occasion and at the right time. I bet your high achieving kids don't have an appreciation that sort of comedic nuance.

Why do I really love cuss words? I think they're therapeutic. They are these syllables that you are not supposed to say. They are bad, revolting, disgusting. Society says people that use such language are classless. This is the perfect thing to share as a family...to make you a family. It's a way to safely act out in defiance of the world, within the safety of the people that love you.

I was a non-cusser after I became a mother. I spent several years as a non-cusser. I bought the non-cussing hype. Post adoption, I let it go and let the bad words fly as needed. (Mostly because I really, really needed to say some bad words.) The words hold POWER for traumatized children. I know, I know. You're thinking, "Way to rationalize you hedonistic beast." Maybe you're right. In fact, I'm sure you're right. I don't care. When I hear my 10-year-old let an "s word" fly, I die of laughter. He dies of laughter. And we bond. We become a family. "Forget the world.....forget those lame-os. We are hilarious. And we are mother and son." Can you think of anything more beautiful?