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Original poster

3 yr old swearing

10 replies

Penthesileia · 02/08/2011 01:10

Perhaps not as bad (I hope Blush) as the thread title suggests...

My 3.2 yr old DD has, in the past couple of months, when very tired and/or frustrated, begun to say "Bloody Hell!" (well, she says "Bloody Help!", actually, but it's obvious what she's imitating...). She has picked this up from me. Blush I tend to say this myself when frustrated (milk in pan boiling over, etc.).

I wonder if anyone could give me some advice on how to stop her saying it. Obviously, I have stopped saying it in front of her myself, but I am unsure how to respond to her when she says it. If I make too big a deal out of it, I'm worried that she will pick up on its "special" nature and want to say it more; and I don't want to get angry with her, because she's only picking up on what I've been saying, after all.

Any tips, please? TIA.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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MrsShrekTheThird · 02/08/2011 01:38

ignore, ignore, ignore Wink
easier said than done. but try.

DD, aged 2 at the time, sat in the back of Granny's car, dropped her cup of juice and loudly and articulately exclaimed "oh, Bollocks!!"
Granny fortunately decided to be selectively deaf and I almost exploded from silent laughing and refused to turn round so dd couldn't see the hysterics and tears running down my face Grin
No reaction, no repeat, fortunately!!

Davsmum · 02/08/2011 13:37

Yes,.. ignore as MrsShrek says - and make sure you don't start saying it again yourself,... (not easy !!

Original poster
Penthesileia · 02/08/2011 13:43

Thank you, both. I have been ignoring, so I will continue (though it is hard not to laugh - a little person cursing - and correctly too - is so incongruous! Grin).

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skewiff · 02/08/2011 21:15

My son said more than just this at a similar age. He started off with bollocks - taken from me and then realised all the other words that daddy had been saying for ages were naughty too. So added those to his repetoire. It was awful at one point.

Ignoring did not work for us. So I talked to him one night, just before bed, in the dark - so he couldn't get distracted, which he does when I try to talk to him normally. And I asked him what he thought we should do to stop him swearing. He said that he should throw the words out of the window. So he did, and then he saw a van drive by and said they had dropped into the van. And we decided the van was taking them to a rubbish tip.

And from that moment on the swearing stopped.

Besom · 02/08/2011 21:19

My dd, also 3, said 'mummy that's crap!' really loudly in the super market the other day Blush. I did just ignore and she hasn't said it again.

Original poster
Penthesileia · 03/08/2011 17:46

That was imaginative thinking, skewiff. Glad it worked for you. Smile

Besom & Mrs Shrek: (naughty) LOL @ Bollocks & Crap! Grin

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Bootsiesilva · 03/08/2011 18:31

I had a similar problem with my 3.5 year ds old who unfortunately had picked up "for f**cks sake" from me (don't know how to put up a really embarrassed face). Considering his speech is a bit delayed and we are going to sessions to help him catch up I couldn't believe that when he did string a few words together that he was saying that. After speaking to a couple of people I was told to just ignore it, which I did but he continued saying it usually when he was frustrated with things (totally learnt behaviour). I decided that I had to tell him it wasn't a good word and Mummy had been silly to say it. He said it a few more times and we had the same talk and then he stopped totally. Good luck with it. (smiley face)

goosey123 · 03/08/2011 20:05

No advice to give, but if it makes you feel better, my dd1 (3.2) said oh bloody hell yesterday, and was muttering for fucks sake a couple of weeks back. I think its time for me to go back to work, 1 year of being a stay at home mum, and my language has gone tits up! Haven't heard her repeat said phrases since, so hoping she will forget them..... (and I keep saying golly gosh now, in the hope that will catch on and everyone will think she comes from a jolly nice home)...

lukewarmmama · 03/08/2011 20:34

Mine has gone through 'flicking hell', 'bloody stupid woman' and 'bliddy hill' already, amongst others (only sone from me I hasten to add!). Ignoring didn't work long term, so we had a chat and I told her there were some words we tried not to say as they were rude and upset other people (and that I would be very cross if I heard her saying them).

What really helped though was me suggesting an alternative that was ok to use when she was cross. She chose 'oh bumpers' as that's what they say on Chuggington. I can live with that!

MrsShrekTheThird · 04/08/2011 00:26

am lmao at Goosey promoting "gollygosh" Grin

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