What tips it over is “excessive profanity” - I know a few parents that swear around there children but it’s not directed at their children and it’s certainly not excessive.

In many ways I think it’s fine for them to swear if they have to - they are not overprotecting their children. People swear out there in the world and if mom or dad say, “SHIT!” when they stub their toe or whatever, people say these things.

When I tried to imagine someone who swears excessively, I only imagine anger - constant anger or even rage. I swear but I can’t even imagine where I would have to be emotionally to swear all the time. In fact, as I’ve worked on myself, to become less judgmental and more accepting, the less I have felt the need to swear. Not that there’s a need per se - my guess is that I find less in my life that frustrates or upsets me and not swearing is a side effect.

Which brings me back to excessive profanity and child abuse - I can’t imagine someone who swears excessively to have their emotional “shit” together. People who don’t have it together will either take it out themselves (depression) or on others (unacknowledged depression -> rage).