Pop singer Pink told Ellen Degeneres in an interview she found it “cute” when her three-year-old blurted out the F-word. Three was also the age of the tot who swore in her ice bucket challenge. But before you know it, your three-year-old is six, and the same words in the mouth of a six-year-old sound much less innocent. So how can you nip it in the bud?
Why it happens
Much of your child’s behaviour, whether appropriate or not, is connected to your parenting. Maybe he heard you say it when another driver cut you off in traffic, and now he’s repeating it endlessly in the back seat. Perhaps he’s watched a TV series that uses crude language.
Children might also be trying to express a feeling such as frustration. Or they might simply be saying the word because it sounds funny or gets a reaction.
What to do
Don’t Overreact: If the behaviour is attention seeking, the most effective way to deal with your child’s swearing is to ignore the swearing completely.
Don’t Laugh: When your child sees that him swearing has made you laugh, and he might use the same word again when he wants to be funny.
Set Limits: Toddlers and preschoolers are too young to understand some of the concepts behind the more common swear words. It’s enough just to say, ‘That’s not a word you may use in our house or around other people’.
Watch Your Own Language a Little More Closely: Toddlers are like sponges; they absorb everything we say and do. If your toddler hears profanity dropped into daily conversation, it’s going to be more difficult to convince him that certain words are unacceptable. He’s also going to wonder why a rule applies to him and not to you.
Say Sorry: When you slip and say a curse word, apologise. Doing so will set a good example for your child.
Offer More Acceptable Alternatives to Swearing: There are plenty of words in the English language that aren’t so offensive. You could even encourage your child to make up his own silly expressions to use instead of swear words.
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Image Credit: Little Heroes.
