by anonymous on March 4th, 2007

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How do you get a six yr old to stop swearing?

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by Ausbabe on March 6th, 2007
1. By making sure you're not using bad language around them yourself.
2. By asking those around your child to please stop swearing (if that's what is going on).
3. By asking your child where they learnt language like that and if they use that language at school.
4. If the language is being learnt from and or used at school, talk to the teacher - it's likely that you're not the only one experiencing the joys of a potty-mouthed child.
5. Ask the child if they know what the words mean and really sit and listen to what they tell you - some kids do know what things mean, others don't.
6. Ask the child for the reason they use the words they do - is it to express an emotion, because they think it's cool to swear or because they think it's just another word to use?
7. Check out the media the child is exposed to or is able to hear at night time - tv shows, movies, music, radio etc. Try to restrict the child's access to this kind of media or teach the child that just because they hear it doesn't mean they should then use it.
8. Teach the child alternate words to use and alternate ways to expres themselves.
9. If none of these work, explain consequences to your child and have a reverse swear jar - when they swear they lose a certain amount of priveledges or money.
10. Divert their behaviour with positive reinforcement - via a star-chart that includes 'did not swear today' and a big reward such as a drive to the beach and a game or a board game or even an extra ten minutes awake before bed etc (try to fall into the pattern of paying them not to swear - it's financially draining).

Biggest of all.
11. If your child lets loose with a particularly colourful term or word, don't reward them with laughs or positive attention. You might think it's cute when it starts but not later when you're getting dirty looks by parents covering their child's ears when your child lets loose out in public!
12. If your child swears at home, make sure they know it's not acceptable and then remove yourself from the situation - don't feed into the behaviour. Walk away and refuse to talk to them until they can speak in a more appropriate way.
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- Number 11 can be very hard, its like the bit in "meet the fockers" where the little kids first word is a$$hole, that always cracks me up.
  
  My daughter is 8 and watches films with swearing, listens to my music with swearing and we do occasionally swear at her (we do try not to!) and she never swears!!!
  
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  by Psyonic on March 7th, 2007
- Excellent advice, and fantastic answer, as usual, Aus. +5
  
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  by PrettyPirate on March 7th, 2007
- Thanks pirate - I'm in good company. Psyonic, I know what you mean. Its so hard not to fall on the floor laughing when they let rip with particular terms. From the mouths of babes literally.
  
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  by Ausbabe on March 7th, 2007
- Terrific answer!
  
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  by monkey do on May 4th, 2007
- I think that is the greatest parenting advice I have heard in a long time.
  
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  by MoJo on May 22nd, 2007
- Aw, thank you Mrs Cool & Mojo.
  
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  by Ausbabe on August 28th, 2008
- dude just beat him. you can try all that physiological stuff but the child will only respond to a good flogging. also why in the world would a six year old even have money to put into a swear jar??
  
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  by Anonymous on November 7th, 2009
- anonymous. Brain dead jerks like you are the ones who probably had plenty of floggings and look what it produced? No one with a brain would listen to a jerk like you anyway.
  
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  by Sharona Life is a Tale Told by an Idiot on November 21st, 2009
- You want results? When i was caught drinking at the age of 14 my dad beat me. To this day i still don't drink. I got beat for skipping school, again i never did it again in my life. My brother was the only one who didn't get beat and he did the same things over and over again. Expressing dominance towards children will result in obedience. I'm not talking about beating until they have bruises or blood, just a hard smack on the face. i see on TV that parents with out of control children NEVER ever hit them before. And yet all the parents i know pop their kids every once and a while and they are angels. IT does work, its a FACT, DOES WORK! it has been going on since beginning of time, and just now people like you are thinking "OH CHILDREN HAVE RIGHTS AND ARE EQUAL TO ADULTS". no, their brains are still developing and associating pain with certain actions will DEFINITELY result in them not doing it again. i grew up with this, and watched it happen everyday, it WORKS
  
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  by Anonymous on November 21st, 2009
- Who cares.
  
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  by Sharona Life is a Tale Told by an Idiot on November 21st, 2009
- apparently you do or you wouldn't have engaged a conversation with me. unsubscribed
  
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  by Anonymous on November 21st, 2009
- Trust me on this don't care.
  
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  by Sharona Life is a Tale Told by an Idiot on November 21st, 2009
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by Anonymous on March 4th, 2007
Where are they hearing the swearing to learn it?

At home or from friends?

If from friends, they need to change friends.

If at home you are setting the example. They are modeling after you.
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by jeaniefirst on March 4th, 2007
well, we did it!! we did the jam the soap in the mouth, and he hated it, gagged and spat it all out, but did it work, I still threaten to do it now aged 10!!
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by lavander_luv on March 6th, 2007
My son is 3. He knows there are certain words he cannot say and he knows there are stiff consequences if he does. I realized he was saying the -words- I was using SO. I stopped flat out. Now if I do slip in front of him. I apologize to him and tell him straight up they are bad words and I was wrong to say them. Thank goodness I havent slipped much in months. After about 3 weeks of ME not using swear words... he stopped too.
A few days ago he heard someone use a swear word out in public. He turned to me and asked "momma, when I get big big can I say bad words too?"

This was proof that at three... He does recognise what words are appropriate and what words are not.
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by TIGAKAT on March 6th, 2007
i agree with jeaniefirst....i put soap on the tooth brush and brush there teeth with it...that way ur killing to birds with one stone...and if the swearing continues at least he'll have nice white teeth lol
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by Jen-Jen on May 28th, 2008
STOP SWEARING IN FRONT OF THE SIX YEAR OLD!!!!!!!!
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by porshacat on March 4th, 2007
Duct tape his mouth shut. lol only kidding.
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by Anonymous on September 8th, 2007
Stop swearing in front of him.
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by snakesncrocks on March 4th, 2007
ask a police officer next time you see one if they can do you a favour and say that their is an age limit or something to swearing and it is an arrestable offense to swear at his age - or take away a toy every time he/she swears as punishment or something like that :) :)
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by Mrs.Dufresne on March 6th, 2007
I would say something along the lines of:
"You don't sound very smart when you talk like that. You should use more intelligent language so everyone knows how smart you are."
Saying it exactly like that might not work, but the main point is to have the child understand that swearing can sound ignorant.
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by Anonymous on November 7th, 2009
you need to stop being so caring and sensitive and man or woman up and get a switch to your child. if you don't know what a switch is i'll explain. a switch is a term commonly used in the south associated with a thin, flexible twig broken from a tree or large bush used to swat the child. unlike other disciplinary items, the switch is perfectly designed for the common individual who wants their child to be taught a lesson but sill doesn't have the hart to go overboard. the switch has a stinging sensation, again unlike other beating utensils. the stinging is very short, sweet, and to the point. there will be marks, but that just means you did a good job.... the switch is most commonly used while on the road because it is easy to find one. i could give you a list of trees and bushes that would be good for switching if you want. if you don't want to hurt the child shove a bar of soap in his mouth. worked for me. i'm in my 20's and i still don't swear, whenever i do it feels wrong. my brother never got soap, and he swears like a sailor in front of my mother, grandmother, father, in public around important people, in restaurants......... please don't let this happen to your child because it's very agitating. believe it or not it will stick with your child for many many years.
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by Little Miss Dangerous on March 7th, 2007
Six years old is old enough to realize that what he's saying is unacceptable. His parents should down play the attention he gets from it and use his own reasoning to stop his swearing. For example, the next time he wants to go somewhere, say to a birthday party, movie, or out to eat with family, they should tell him "Sorry, we just can't take the chance that you'll embarrass us with your bad language, so you'll have to stay home with a sitter. Maybe next time you can go." A few times of being excluded and he'll change on his own, without any fuss and of his own doing. This method is based on non-violence and respect for both child and parent.
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by In London from 3-31 to 4-7--GTA Master on March 7th, 2007
Control your 6 year old or he/she will turn out like me, I swear on average 50 times a day(if the world "control" sounds mean, it's not meant to sound like that). I started swearing when I was 6 years old too. I think you should tell your child that it is wrong to swear, and you should teach him/her some other words to use instead of the swear words.
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by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 6th, 2007
if it is a friend of your brother's who is providing the example, then that friend is the first stop. He must be told to stop saying it in your house. Enlist your parents to bring the point home.
then, send him to a room where there is not much to do each time he does it. explain to him why. keep doing this until he learns.
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by EyePod on March 4th, 2007
destroy his favourite toys one by one till he breaks down in tears.
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by john pennington on September 11th, 2009
A child repeats what it hears from its parents.

Does this answer your question?
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by Anonymous on April 21st, 2008
My son wasn't "swearing" but was using inappropriate language like butt head or poopy pants when he was 5 or 6. This was advise I received a worked like a charm. I took him into the bathroom and had him sit on the toilet (lid closed) and I sat on the edge of the tub and said "If you want to do potty talk then go ahead and say the words you want sitting on the potty. Potty talk if for sitting on the potty." He looked at me like I was nuts and I told him to go ahead and start saying the words in the bathroom and told him that every time I heard that type of talk, he would have to go in the bathroom, sit down and say the words. It happened one time after that and took him back in there, but after that it stopped. My problem was solved.
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by harris on May 3rd, 2007
yes my child swor at me i toock him to the bath room and stud him at the sink and woshd is mawth out with soap and water and he nevre evrer swor again and if he did i will do it again.
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by Miss on April 20th, 2007
Punish them.

The 6-year-old should NOT make the decisions.
You have to put a stop to it and have consequences so the behavior will change.
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by Shine_The_Light on March 7th, 2007
Shove a sock in their mouth
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by buzz123456 on March 7th, 2007
Where is he/she picking it up from. Best way is to ignore it and don't use it yourself around your child. Your child is only continuing to use it because it gets a rise out of you, soon they will forget it if you do.
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by Brian I on March 6th, 2007
Tell him to shut the f*#k up.
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by john pennington on November 8th, 2009
A child repeats what it hears from its parents.

Parents cussing in front of their children is naturally going to rub off on them.

You stop..............they stop.
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by pouncey on November 7th, 2009
Smack the kid every he/she cusses.
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by SABOTEUR on November 7th, 2009
Threaten to take his firearm away.
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by Anonymous on October 2nd, 2009
Slap him/her in the mouth.
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by Jazz-Man on October 2nd, 2009
i know this mat come from the tough school of love but i know someone who actually washed there kids mouth out with soap n it worked apparently
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by Good old Gogo on August 29th, 2009
Two words: S H O C K C O L L A R
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by CrabSawser on August 29th, 2009
Take him to church!!!!!
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by Peanut on August 29th, 2009
Talk to him and ask him why he's doing it and that this kind of language won't be tolerated. Let him know what the concequences will be if he continues using this language and then stand firm on these consequenses; don't back down. My mom is having the same problem with my brother; he's 10. She the came up with a consequence jar and made these little tokens. Everytime my brother curses a token gets placed in the jar and he has to pull out a consequence. Some of the consequences are like no t.v., no video games, computar, phone, extra chores, ect. He then has to have good behavior to earn the privlages back. She's does this with me also; it works.
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by Hellifino on August 28th, 2009
Well they learn it from someplace... I'd get to the bottom of that.
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by Sosueme on August 15th, 2009
The old fashioned way....SOAP.....just think of the movie, "A Christmas Story"......great scene about washing your kid's mouth out with soap.
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by philosopher-saint on August 10th, 2009
Better role models?
;-)
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by -O-uknow on August 10th, 2009
Adopt new parents.
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by rezm174 on July 1st, 2008
punish the little devil, tell him that if he dosen't stop saying swears he's not going to (thing he enjoys the most) and meaby stop swering in the home
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by Jessica13 on July 1st, 2008
Well, the reason your 6 year old is swearing is probably because he/she either heard those words from you, or on TV. My answer is, make sure that YOU dont swear, and make sure your 6 year old is watching apropiate TV shows.
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by emo kitty on May 28th, 2008
Eahehesy spank da child lol it always seems to work......you can scare them into it
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by Mastodon on May 3rd, 2008
Tell him to go outside and cut a switch.
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by ChandaDiane - est. 1975 on April 21st, 2008
Set a good example for them and get out that trusty bar of soap.
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by angel on February 29th, 2008
I wouldn't pay attention. I have seen that work, especially at that age
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by Anonymous on February 9th, 2008
ignore him
if he notices that he isn't getting attention and that nobody cares, he will eventually stop.
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by KiloWattKid on February 3rd, 2008
Do you swear yourself?
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by ameliaJ on January 30th, 2008
You have a naughty room when ever he swears you put him in it for every minute of his year. (ie: 6 yr old goes for si minutes.) If he says sorry at the end he can come out. If he escapes the countdown goes again. If he escapes dont talk to him or look at him just place him back without saying anything. If he is good and doesn't say anything you make a chart and have an astronaut or whatever the astronaught moves up whenever he is good and whenever he reaches the top he gets to do what ever you want with him.

http://www.supernanny.com
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by The Doctor on January 23rd, 2008
Backhand him
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by larrymcjon on December 10th, 2007
Tell him to shut the f*ck up. Give him a dose of his own medicine.
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by Anonymous on December 10th, 2007
I would have to ask where the child is hearing the bad language. You first make sure he is not around it and then you start punishing him when he uses it.
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by Simply.Dani on December 10th, 2007
Tell the little one what they are doing wrong, and why it is wrong. Tell them only once. Tell them that their will be concequences each time he or she swears. Take away something. The easiest way to get a child to listen to you, and learn from their actions is to take something away. You might have to remind them why you are taking it away. So basically ignore, and when they swear take something. They may come to you later and ask for it, or ask why you took it away, tell them, but in short form this time.

Good luck!
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by lincoln on December 10th, 2007
Be the example. They hear it from somewhere, the television, home, school, freinds. Adults using those words is a "yep, it's okay to say that, they do"
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by asweetguy4u2know saya R.I.P Nelson on September 8th, 2007
Ignore it. The more a child sees something bothers you the more determined he or she will be to go out of their way to do it. If you simply let it slide they will sooner or later stop when they see they are getting no reaction from you
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by Cats Rule...Dogs Drool on September 8th, 2007
Punish the six year old.
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