How Should I React When My Teen Calls Her Friend A B*tch?

Q. I heard my 15-year-old daughter calling her friend a b*tch. She says she's just kidding. Is this a new thing for girls?

A. The reason teens believe words like "b*tch" don't mean anything is because kids hear them so often they seem normal. But just because something's common doesn't make it right. So I'd say to your daughter, "I get that you think I'm overreacting, but there's something you need to know. Historically, that word is used to silence a woman who is perceived to be too adamant about her opinions and rights. I doubt that you believe women should be shut down for demanding respect. Now that you know, I'm asking you to be a strong woman by taking responsibility for the words you say. That is what powerful women of character do."

Originally published in the October 2008 issue of Family Circle magazine.

Bravo Mom! Thank God for mothers who actually take the time to teach and instruct their children. I have never been a fan of "Just Say No". To refer to friend(s) as a "b*tch" or "b*tches" is a popular word among young women. Television shows like Basketball Wives, House Wives of Atlanta, New Jersey and all the rest, glamorizes the use of this word. They make it seem cool for women to insult each other and have physical altercations...OMG! This is not the message we want to send to our young women. The word of God says to, "Train up a child in the way that he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it", (Proverbs 22:6). Let's cooperate with God by teaching and instructing our daughters, so that they will be strong, and come to know who they are in Christ.

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