When did it become okay to use the word "Retard" as an insult?Do parents teach their kids respect anymore?

Question

I'm raising a mentally disabled kid and he's got more sense than most teens.How do parents rationalize that it's okay to let their kids say these things?I know some parents are being fooled by their kids,but what's that saying for them if they let a KID get over on them.

Answer 1

I'm a special education teacher and I make sure my students never say that word (I work in both the special ed and gen ed rooms.) My students are 12, and it takes a little while, but they catch on. They even begin to tell me, "So-and-so used the R-word!!"

Answer 2

Probably with the first amendment. When someone needs to be corrected often it is done with an insult. When a child is not conforming and doing something that is frowned upon by society other children will correct thier behavior by saying "Stop being a retard". The child will then feel ashamed and will no longer shove crayons up thier nose or eat paste.

Answer 3

many teenages do not have any respect whatsoever. "retard" is now a fairly acceptable word. i personally blame the media for it. the next word that is going to be very acceptable will be "*****." the reason i think this is because of people like paris hilton and nicole ritchie. they call everyone that word, which is extremely rude but teens today just don't see that.

Answer 4

School is where most kids learn to use such words unfortunely home is another place. Most parents dont have time for their children therefore no time to teah them respect. But there's teens that do know what respects is unfortunely we are very few.

Answer 5

re·tard1 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (r-tärd)
v. re·tard·ed, re·tard·ing, re·tards

To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede.

To be delayed.

A slowing down or hindering of progress; a delay.

Music. A slackening of tempo.

Now that everyone is informed we can have an educated discussion about the word.

You can also apply the same scenario to the word gay and fag. I hear kids say those all the times. It doesn't offend me because I know they are children who are ignorant (uneducated) as to the meaning of their words and because I am not gay. And to be quite honest. Most adults have this issue too. It starts with the parents and most of them are too stupid to realize that they shouldn't have had kids to begin with.

Answer 6

I've worked with DD's and I sometimes say something is "retarded" with no insult towards my clients.
You are probably over-sensitive due to your baby's circumstances.
By all means correct ANYONE you feel like.
MY clients are completely offended by the word "retarded" and do NOT see themselves that way.
By the way...WE know "they" are the purest form of humanity in existence.

Answer 7

Its just a word......words are neutral.....the people are the problem. As George Carlin would put it. Kinda like the word cripple, people freak when you call someone a cripple, Jesus healed the crippled, he didnt heal the handi-capable, the handicapped or mentally disabled......it can branch anywhere.....what it boils down to is people wanna control our language.....just words.

Answer 8

you know, I pride myself in being sensitive to hurtful names, and I used the term retarded, and my best friend, who's brother is mentally challenged had to correct me. I never felt so stupid in my life. It isn't O.K.

Answer 9

I was going to write a really good answer, but when I started typing it, it just sounded retarted.

Answer 10

IT IS NEVER OK TO USE NAME CALLING
SOME PARENTS TEACH THEM AND SOME DOES NOT