Don't know what to do about DS

[HoppityVoosh22]

DS is 5. A few weeks ago at dinner, he suddenly came out with 'we don't say fuck it?' DH and I were a bit taken aback and DS looked quite concerned, as though he knew it was a bad word. We said 'we don't say that' and moved on. A few days later he asked again and again and again. The question/statement has now morphed to 'I won't say fuck it again' or 'fuck it is not coming back again' but this has become constant.

I've tried replying calmly, he just keeps saying it. I've tried ignoring him, he just keeps saying it. I've gotten angry at which point he gets very distressed. He says it's in his head and he can't stop it and begs me to forgive him.

This only seems to happen around DH and I. It doesn't happen with school or grandparents, though tonight at my MIL's he kept saying it quietly to me and getting upset. Then in the car on the way home, it changed to 'we don't say fat, do we?' Again, this was constant.

I don't know what to do. DH thinks he's putting it on to wind is up, but I don't think he is given his distress. Could it be some kind of Tourette's? I just don't know what to think or do.

I am no expert but I also wonder if it's intrusive thoughts brought about by anxiety. I say this because when I was a child I had to constantly repeat "Dad is going to die" to myself if I was with him. I was so anxious that he was going to die, that I convinced myself he would unless I got rid of the evil by saying it. At the time I was not able to articular this of course so my parents got pretty worried thinking I wished my dad to be dead. I don't know what made me stop - I just grew up a bit and was then ok.

I was a child of the 60's and there wasn't much around in terms of help at the time. I think distractions will help, so if he says "I won't say fuck again" I'd reply with a question to distract him .Questions send an interrupt to the brain and re-focus our minds to answer, it can be anything. "Do you like your baked beans?" "Did you like splashing in the puddles today?" "Did you see X at school?" etc anything - the key is to make it a question. I'd give that a try and if it doesn't work, say after a month, perhaps take him for assessment.

Yes, perhaps I should have taken him home. To be honest, I was hoping the play date would distract him and provide another focus as, at home, it would just be me dealing with it. This is the first time this has ever happened at a play date.

It doesn't sound like something he can control, therefore punishing him by removing him from the party would be cruel, no?