Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they’re not attracting attention with it.
– Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 9. Atticus says this to Uncle Jack, after Jack points out that Scout’s use of bathroom invective leaves nothing to the imagination. Atticus believes that it is better to ignore the language, and Scout will grow out of it. Some neighbors think that Atticus is an unqualified parent, but he is a smart and loving father who has a particular parenting style that distinguishes him from a lot of other parents in Maycomb.