3.5yo using swear words

[minipie]

Our 3.5you DD has recently started to say "bloody" and much worse "fucking". She has only said them a couple of times, and she clearly knows they are not good as she laughs and looks at me when she does it to see my reaction.

I'm ashamed to admit she's probably heard them from us . We do of course try not to swear around her but sometimes have when she was in the other room and didn't think she could hear, and they may have slipped out at other times too (moments of extreme stress!) I guess. Obviously we are being much more careful now.

What I'm wondering is what is the best way to react when she uses these words. Ignore? Tell her they are nasty words and not to use them (I am a bit worried this might encourage her...)? Consequences?

Grateful for any advice. Please don't bash me for having sworn in her hearing, I feel terrible about it already.

Hello, I think my 3yo might have tried to tell me FIL to "fuzzck off" last week...! He has obviously heard the word, misremembered it and trotted it out in context (unfortunately. FIL had just told him it was time to go home 😱😱).

I think the general advice is just to ignore ignore, brazen it out and pretend they said another word. Say the alternative word a few times and then try extra hard never to let them hear the bad word again (easier said than done in our house - pre kids I had a right potty mouth and occasionally a colourful word slips out).

So at FIL's house I sternly said "no DS, it's rude to tell grandad to buzz off we don't say that. Don't say buzz off. Oh look - a puppy out the window across the street. Would you like to take a book from Nana's book box home for the week?" .

Don't beat yourself up about it - you know saying "oh fuck" or "fucking hell" in front of a kid isn't the greatest, but if you are a sweary sort of person it's hard to always remember to say "oh fiddle" or some such bollocks when your toddler has thrown onions down the loo and your baby has been sick in your hair.

Also, give it 18 months and s/he will be hearing all sorts in the playground so you will need a tactic for this soon anyway....

Ps - oh hi Minipie! Didn't realise it was you. Remember you from the high needs baby boards 3 years ago. Glad to see our children's similarities to each other are continuing into toddlerhood....

Ps - as an aside, my very religious parents were visiting recently (I am an atheist these days) and the baby was sick all over the floor. 3yo DS pipes up with "oh for the love of Christ"...!!! I was like, er, can't think where he has heard that!! Must be nursery...?

haha Botbot sometimes I swear am sure we stalk each other on these boards. God knows what would happen if our two ever met. Thanks for replying

Unfortunately DD's diction is rather... precise. But I like your tactic of "correcting" the word to something similar but innocuous and then also telling them not to say it - that is good headology . Right, if she does it again I'll see if I can do that.

oh dear (makes me feel better thanks)