How to Teach Your Children That Cursing Is Wrong
Children often mimic adults and older siblings by using curse words. They think cursing makes them appear grown up to others and with very young children it is simply repeating a word they have just learned. Teaching children that cursing is wrong enables them to use other vocabulary to express shock, anger, dismay and other emotions. Cursing is often a bad habit that must be broken over time. Cursing is not allowed in school, church and other youth groups and the children will receive punishment for this behavior if it is not curtailed quickly.
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Instructions
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Supply your child with plenty of positive attention by spending one-on-one time with him. This raises his self-esteem and confidence level. Children crave attention and if they don't receive positive attention, negative attention is often better than nothing in their eyes. The child uses this tactic to receive the attention he craves. Many times children use profanity as a way to shock their friends and caregivers.
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Talk to your child about respecting others. Explain to her that cursing is offensive to many people. Use examples to explain how language affects others, such as by stating that if the child were to tell someone, "You are fat," or "You are ugly," it would hurt the person's feelings. Tell him that profanity is just as offensive to many people as hurtful words.
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Teach your child to substitute appropriate language to express anger, shock, dismay or other emotions. Another option is to teach him amusing, secret codeword phrases, such as "Oh, apple sauce!" or "That is just jazzy," to express when he is angry or doesn't want to do something. He may find secret codewords more interesting than other suitable phrases, since the terminology may garner him attention because it puzzles and intrigues the listener.
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Show consistency when breaking your child of a cursing habit. If you allow the language on days when you are tired, distracted or too busy to deal with the situation, the child thinks you are not serious about the inappropriateness of profanity. Being consistent and correcting or punishing the child each time you hear the cursing allows her to learn that this issue is important to you and not acceptable behavior.
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Watch your own language. If the child hears cursing on a regular basis, the terminology seems natural to him. It is much more difficult to restrain himself if it is a common phrase in your household than if it is something he rarely hears.
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Praise your child when you see her successfully substitute acceptable language when you are quite certain she was about to curse. Tell her that you know cursing is a difficult habit to break and you are proud of her for thinking of a more appropriate term to use in the situation.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't laugh or overreact when profane words come out of your child's mouth. This is particularly important in very young children because when the child feels the need for attention, he may spew out the language to get a reaction from you or someone else.
References
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