Swearing Toddler

[sarah0041]

Help! My 2 year old DD, has started swearing, not just your run of the mill little words, she's gone straight to the top! The worring thing is she make's a comment in context! For example, she dropped something and said, 'For F$£k's sake'. What do we do to stop here. Grandma is not impressed.

I guess you need to avoid making a big deal, but just tell her firmly that she mustn't say those words. Can you find out where she has picked them up?

I think she's heard her dad when he was decorating recently! Mother-in-law has made us feel terrible. Really guilty, as though we say these words to my daughter directly. The only other thing may be when we're in the car and get a bit of road rage, but neither of us use these words routinley.

My DS (25 months) has started doing the same. He is a parrot atm repeating every word he hears, whether we say it or he hears it on the radio or tv etc! From his swearing we have discovered that I say "bugger" quite a lot when I make mistakes & DH says "F**kit!" when he drops things. DS even pre-empted him today by saying it when H dropped his pen (& before DH could say it ). I wouldnt mind but his pronounciation is perfect when he swears more than at any other time!

We have basically taken the view that he will simply stop using them if he doesnt hear them very often so we are trying to curtail our own language as a result. I dont see how we can punish him for simply doing what comes naturally to him - learning from us! Also he is at an age that if we made a fuss about it he would probably say them just to get a reaction.

my 5 yr old informed a friend of mine today that our kitten was having his balls taken off in a few weeks

that was fun

Ah, well I think you need to work hard to be careful what you say. You clearly have a very alert and quick on the uptake DD sarah. I still think you should tell her not to say them. But if you stop then she probably will too.

Will give abstaining a go. Hope no-one cuts me up on the motorway tomorrow, 'flipping heck' just dosn't seem strong enough! Must go now, think DD has crept into my side of the bed!

My son went through a stage of swearing, just after he started at private nursery. He couldn't get the buckle on his car seat done up and said "For F*!£ings sake". I, personally, found it really difficult not to laugh, but had to hold back obviously because I didn't want him thinking it was funny and repeating it. He only said it a few times - we mentioned it to the nursery staff. I did tell him that it was a not-nice word to use, and luckily it seemed to do the trick.

We also had an episode this summer with my husband's sister who is only 9. She had caught a glimpse of Pete on Big Brother, and started doing the w*&£!r thing!

That's the phrase my 24 month old ds has picked up on too - and for the same road / DIY rage reasons too! When I mentioned it to the nursery at teh school where I work they said 'Oh don't worry, it's always the teachers' kids who swear first'...

I ignored it completely and it seems to have gone away. For now.

You should be ok, she's young enough. You have to never, ever swear in front of your child again (well, until she's old enough to have had the sweary words conversations with you at least). Think of other pleasant words you can say instead.

I realised that's what I had to do when I couldn't dress my 20 month old in a small swimming cubicle and she provided the commentary, 'damn, bugger, damn, god's sake'.

Thanks to every one's very good advice. We will take all the comments on board and hopefully stop this unfortunate episode getting any worse(if that's possible!) Today DD said 'Oh, my God' which is a slight improvement i suppose!

Well if it helps my ds1(4) said don't do that or you'll bugger it up again to ds2(3)

Message withdrawn

My dd1 had an uncanny knack of picking up on the bad words, probably 'cause said with so much feeling. Maybe I spoke in a monotone the rest of the time. Honest, guv, I didn't go round swearing like a trooper!