Help!!! My Preschooler is Swearing

 

Reasons for Preschool children swearing:

Many Preschool children are just starting to learn to control their physical behaviors. Yet when the hitting and biting end, children learn to lash out in verbal ways. Language is a powerful tool for Preschoolers and they quickly learn to experiment with this power with name calling and swearing. While every parent cringes when their child curses in public, the good news is your child is exploring areas of how language works. Preschoolers see the reactions they get from swearing or name calling, be it in the form of laughter or the realization they can hurt someone else without touching them, again demonstrates the power of cursing. Preschoolers quickly learn which swear words get fast and intense responses but realize that each of the words gets a different reaction from different people. Luckily for most parents, their children practice at home. This gives parents the opportunity to help them understand this new found vocabulary.

 

Helping your Preschooler find other appropriate language:

 

• Make sure to give examples about how swearing affects people. By explaining to your Preschooler how these words can and do hurt people’s feelings, use similarities with hurtful words and swear words. Tell your children when you say this swear word this is like telling someone you think they are dumb and stupid and you know how you feel when others call you dumb and stupid. It is also good to point out when you are swearing at people, it is just like you want bad things to happen to them. Keep in mind most of the time your Preschooler doesn’t know what the swear words mean.
• Providing Preschoolers with alternatives. Give alternatives for swear words that mean almost the same thing. Often times it helps when you make the alternative words funny or amusing to your child. For the swear word that means similar to “poop” , you and your child could rhyme a couple words together like poopity doopity scoopity and tell them to use these words instead and most times they will get a response similar to the laughing response using swear words. Instead of yelling or punishing them for their outbursts, it is also important to make sure your Preschooler knows you are interested in their ideas and explain to them they need to find another why to vocalize their thoughts.
• Make sure your Preschooler knows how your family feels about swearing. Explaining to your Preschooler you understand that others use this language when they are upset or angry, but in our family we use other words to express our anger. It is also important for us as parents to watch our language and to monitor other sources of media where this language can be heard.
• Don’t expect your Preschooler to abandon swearing instantly. As much as we would like our Preschooler to abandon their new found language immediately, chances are your Preschooler may need to do a little more experimenting. Gently and consistently remind your child to use other words to express this feelings while modeling your own language accordingly, most children are likely to out grow of swearing in their own time.

 

Becoming the Parent you Want to Be. Looking for Answers

iVillage Parents Place. com “Swearing Children How do you make them stop?”