Cursing fears

[HolliDaze]

So, I've been very careful not to curse around Dexter. I don't let people curse within earshot, but that has changed.

My dad and I have two roommates out here. One is allergic to feathers and leaves Dexter be. The other doesn't mess with dexter directly, but he curses constantly. Happy, angry, he's saying heck every other word. He also is very loud. I'm in my room with dex right now, and I can hear him screaming at someone on the phone in the next room, every other word is a cuss word. He's so loud he may as well be in my room. He knows Dexter may repeat those words, but says it'd be funny if Dexter cussed and makes no effort to lower his voice of avoid using those words. (He also jokes about giving Dexter marijuana but I'd never let that happen)

I really don't want Dexter to pick up those words. If he tries to use them, my plan is to ignore it in hopes he doesn't do it again. Is there any other way to prevent him learning to curse?

 

[hrafn]

What a twerp. Ugh.

Kamara came to me with a wealth of swears, but I've succeeded in converting most of them to similarly-sounding but innocent words by repeating them back to her (ie. damn = bam) but she'll still cuss occasionally, usually when she's mad.

Is there a way you can help dampen sound in your room? Wall tapestries, furniture, etc.? I'd also try keeping a radio on so any loud talking will be at least partially drowned out.

 

[HolliDaze]

What a twerp. Ugh.

Kamara came to me with a wealth of swears, but I've succeeded in converting most of them to similarly-sounding but innocent words by repeating them back to her (ie. damn = bam) but she'll still cuss occasionally, usually when she's mad.

Is there a way you can help dampen sound in your room? Wall tapestries, furniture, etc.? I'd also try keeping a radio on so any loud talking will be at least partially drowned out.

I'm not sure about dampening the sound, he is VERY loud, like Dexter screaming loud. I'll look into getting a radio.

He just came in my room (after knocking) and said "hello fricker" to Dexter (in a friendly way) I'm at my wits end here.

 

[HolliDaze]

Whoops forgot to censor the curse word! Does AA do that automatically or did an admin pop by haha

 

[hrafn]

I'm not sure about dampening the sound, he is VERY loud, like Dexter screaming loud. I'll look into getting a radio.

He just came in my room (after knocking) and said "hello fricker" to Dexter (in a friendly way) I'm at my wits end here.

What a manchild, oh my god. Is the house your dad's? Can he kick this dude out? He's mad disrespectful.

 

[Shezbug]

I feel they (people) tend to do it on purpose if you make a big fuss about it. The more I asked people to try to refrain from cussing in front of or writhing hearing range of Burt the more they seemed to swear and the worse the words were.

When I ignored the fact they were doing it I noticed they swore less???

So darn frustrating and hard not to take personally.

Unfortunately Burt did pick up the F word which I changed to a chicken sound (buck buck buck) every time I heard him. He slowly has stopped saying it and now tends to prefer to bark like the dogs. Once he was doing the chicken sound I basically paid it no attention as I didn’t want to encourage any sound that could be mistaken for that F word, I always laughed and barked back at him if he did the barking though.

Every now and then while vacuuming I hear the F or buck word but not very often.

I’d go with a radio that has something playing all the time that Dex likes and have it loud enough to muffle or drown out the sounds of your room mate.

It’s frustrating not being able to fully control the environment you want your bird to be in. Unfortunately for me that means I’ve moved Burt to my bedroom so he is not encouraged (accidentally or absent minded) by others to do things that will not be desirable in most places. He started screaming constantly for attention because he would be rewarded (unintentionally) by people asking him did he want company or whatever. He very rarely screams trying to get attention now. I also find I stress less with him being in my room as some others just don’t think before using certain things or bringing new items home and I now don’t have to rush to get him out of the room to ensure he’s not breathing hazardous stuff. So as crap as the semi isolation is, the benefits outweighed the alternative

I hope you find an easy solution to your issue that doesn’t cause other problems for you

 

[MauiWendy]

I'm sorry but I would speak to you dad. What and uncomfortable situation you are in. Let you father handle it.

 

[Lodah]

Easy... put a sock in his foul mouth! Preferably a smelly one!

 

[HolliDaze]

It's tough because he's been Nothing but kind and respectful to me, he and I get along pretty well. This and his volume are really my only complaints (He and the other roommate were up until midnight last night listening to music very loud just outside my door).

On the upside, Dexter has nearly stopped screaming altogether since I left Indiana. Seems the bugger knows I won't give him attention if he screams and was doing it in Indy in hopes my mom or grandmother would come in and talk to him. The only time he gets even a little loud is when I don't cover his cage completely or don't turn off the lights in a timely manner at night. He screamed twice in the several months I've been here, and it was more yelling than screaming, no one outside the room could hear him either time.

 

[JLcribber]

This swearing is just background noise if he's not directly interacting with Dexter (and swearing right at him).

How many words does he say now?

 

[HolliDaze]

This swearing is just background noise if he's not directly interacting with Dexter (and swearing right at him).

How many words does he say now?

He says 2 or 3 dozen clear words, and a near constant stream of "gibberish". Sometimes I can pick out a word or two from it, but I am never sure if I heard him correctly. Here are a few examples:

Dexter, dex, hey dex, hi dexter, hi dex, and several other variations
Hi! With a noticeable lift at the end
Hey baby (I've developed a habit of saying that to him when I see him)
Machelle/shell
I love you (though he uses this one quite sparingly)
Jasper! (My mom's dog back in indiana)
C'mere
Step up! (which sounds more like a uh-huh! because he doesn't pronounce the 's' or the 'p', But it sounds just like me asking him to step up and be does it when he wants me to pick him up)
let me out! (He doesn't use this one as much anymore)

Those are the ones he uses commonly, but I've heard some words used once or twice where I was confident I understood him:
Thank you machelle/shell (said to me after I told him I loved him)
I like her.
Lucy? (His "godmother" , who I talk to him about frequently and has skyped with him)
How you doing? (This one was heard when out on a walk and he met a stranger, aka my next door neighbor)
Jasper's there (said after calling jasper over one day)
Stupid bird (I've never said that to him, I suspect it was my grandmother in indiana. I ignored him in an effort to avoid teaching him to say it again)
That's okay. (Said after I apologized for something)

And, of course, there are his noises, although those aren't nearly as plentiful:
He barks whenever he sees a dog and calls them jasper
He coughs whenever he hears someone else cough, even if they aren't near him.
he'll laugh , but never when I am laughing and only if overly excited


If he ever says something that sounds like actual words, I always repeat it back to him. Unless, of course, I don't want him to say it. My dad likes to claim he understands every word that comes out of dexter's mouth, but I doubt Dexter says things like "machelle is a messy girl" and am certain my dad is dropping hints.

I don't assume he understands every word out of his mouth,but I firmly believe he means what he says a lot of the time.

 

[Khizz]

If you do end up having a word with him (or your dad) you could always make up a bit of a lie and say the neighbour's kids (or some other kids you know) look after him while you are in holiday and you don't want them picking up swears? He might not be bothered about a bird picking up swear words, but people usually care when it comes to kids.