Has your toddler started saying bad words? I never thought that my toddler would swear, but she returned from a babysitter's house one evening and began incessantly repeating a very foul phrase. All that night and all the next day, she kept reciting an inappropriate slang term for cow manure. She yelled it loudly in line at the store and even yelled it at her 80-year-old great-grandmother. I thought I would die of humiliation.
It's not easy to deal with a toddler saying bad words, but there are ways to manage it. Use these simple techniques to stop your toddler from swearing.
Remove the Influence
My daughter won't be returning to the home of the babysitter who taught her that phrase. I've also learned that I need to watch my own mouth now that my daughter has recognized that some words are extremely powerful. I may think that she is oblivious to a conversation I have over the phone with an adult friend, but I'll hear her repeating the words verbatim the next day. Your toddler's little ears are like sponges, so do try to remove him from bad influences.
Do not watch TV programs that contain inappropriate language when your toddler is present, and do what you can to tame your own language. Old habits are hard to break, but I'm finally remembering to use words like "shoot" and "darn it" when my daughter is present. Stop your toddler's swearing by ending his access to bad examples.
Offer an Alternative
My toddler was saying bad words-- the slang term for cow manure-- because she didn't know what it meant. She seemed to think that she could discern its meaning by repeating it incessantly and scanning grown-ups' faces for a reaction. I found a quick solution to her incessant repetition. I cut out a semicircle in construction paper and said, "Honey, do you mean to say BOWL SHAPE?"
She picked up the "bowl-shape" cut-out and began excitedly repeating a similar-sounding but much cleaner phrase: "Bowl shape! Bowl shape! That's a bowl shape!" I used this "aha" moment to teach her that a "bowl shape" is also called a semicircle, and I allowed her to help me cut out several semicircles to make a make-believe set of dishes. She was thrilled and promptly forgot about the curse word. Better yet, it became an opportunity to learn the word "semicircle" and practice cutting with scissors.
Help Him Communicate
If your toddler curses in response to stress or anger, try to help him articulate his feelings more accurately. Teach him to say, "I'm angry!" or "I'm very upset!" or "I'm frustrated that I keep dropping my cup!" Allow him to express these feelings without any shame or punishment. It's healthy for him to express his emotions if he does so in a way that is nonviolent.
When your toddler curses because he is upset, validate his emotions without over-reacting to his specific words. Tell him that you understand that he is upset, but offer him alternative methods for communicating his feelings. With proper support, your toddler will probably outgrow his phase of repeating bad words after a few weeks or possibly months. If the behavior continues, mention it to his pediatrician. A child care expert may provide further insight into addressing this embarrassing but common behavior.
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