Go ahead, curse in front of your kids

I always seasoned my vocabulary with as many four-letter words as 50-cent ones, at least until my first child was born two years ago. That's when I found myself -- and I'm almost embarrassed to admit it -- watching my language. Something deep in my subconscious told me that profanity might harm him in some way, that even a fleeting expletive, like a curse word uttered while stumbling over a child gate, could do lasting damage. Because I was not only a new parent but also a cognitive scientist specializing in language, I decided to investigate the issue. And I'm happy to report that, nowadays, if I drop an f-bomb in front of my kid, I don't sweat it.