A

'It's a bit of cliche, but children are not brought up properly nowadays', explained some blunt instrument on Radio Five Live.

Later:

Alex: I've written another thank you letter for my Christmas presents.

Shane: Good man. Who is it this time?

Alex: Your mum and dad.

Shane: Good. They'll be pleased. What have you written?

Alex: 'Dear ShaneMum and ShaneDad, Thank you for the Transformers DVD for my Christmas present. I've already watched it about five times. Here is a line from Transformers - I really don't like that guy. He's an asssssssssssssssssssss hole. Love from Alex.' (smiles)

Emma: (Laughs)

Shane: Funny. What have you really written?

Alex: That!

Shane: Show me.

Alex: (shows letter)

Shane: So you have. Good man.

Emma: (now weeping with laughter)

We seem to have forged an approach to (not) dealing with sweary language. So long as it's not gratuitous, out of anger, or too casual, there tends not to be any issue. Fact is, there rarely is an swearing (an interesting concept, really). Alex' dad happens to be more of a stickler - mentioning the odd word that he's heard that he doesn't want to hear again - and maybe that's no bad thing. But I do like it when The Boy and I find ourselves having conversations about swear words. It's at such times that he shows his grasp of many social distinctions - public/private, appropriate/inappropriate, literate/illiterate, and so on.

This post came about as I read of a chap's homily - brief, but gorgeous - to his deceased step-dad. It set me about wondering quite how I came to find myself effectively Alex' main care-giver, and quite how he'll recall these times in later life. In being highly sensitive to his well-being - a matter that doesn't and shouldn't translate into being all-round protective - there are pros and cons. Each of which, are the stuff of my everyday.