What can a do about my 2 year old's choice of words?

Question

He is constantly saying the "F" word. I've tried ignoring it, putting him in time out, smacking his mouth. Nothing works. Help!

I personally don't say the word, but his father does. I've wanted to wash his mouth out with soap, but my husband says he is too little.

Answer 1

Ok this is what i tryed try getting down to his level the last thing you want to do is make him feel vurable, and look him in the eye and say 'mummy dosent like that work that word is naughty, if you say that again you WILL go to your room!' dont shout just say it like you mean it, if he says it again pick him up dont speek to him take him to his room put him in there close the door and hold it till hes calmed down and tell him again, he will learn that the word it naughty then try to reward him by saying, 'i was very happy that you didnt say the naughty word today good boy!"and give him a hug! and a kiss and tell him you love him, he will learn in the ned that the word is naughty, its hard because the kids dont like it but it works! your doing this for his own good

Answer 2

He is hearing it from somewhere...I mean, honestly, they put that on some radio stations now. Here's the thing - a child that young doesn't necessarily even know what the word means. He just knows that it gets a reaction. So, ignoring will eventually work if you could guarantee he wouldn't hear the word anymore. Unfortunately, that's really not possible in today's world.

The time-honored methods of soap and smacking the mouth, that kind of thing, will probably make sure he doesn't say the word around you - but it doesn't mean he won't say the word.

There's a really good article at http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/refcap/preschooler/pbehavior/63731.html that might help. Just remember you have to be very consistent with whatever you do, and that the undesirable behaviour does not ever disappear overnight.

Answer 3

I'm a mom of two. Have gone through that kind of thing. At that age, if you make any kind of a fuss over something, be it positive, negative, or even so much as raising an eyebrow...toddlers will find excitement in the different reaction and keep doing/saying it.

So, when he says the F word, just pretend he said "the" or something equally innocent. And make sure EVERYONE else around him reacts the same way.

It could take a few months for him to finally stop saying it, once he sees it gets zero reaction, he'll get bored and move on. Also, try teaching him some really "neat" and different and fun to say new words...like dinosaur names, along with their pictures. He may find those so fun to say (especially if you get really excited every time he says them) he'll forget all about that F word.

p.s. to those who wanted to claim the poster was using the F word...not always the case. When my daughter was that age, we were in a store, and an angry woman and man walked by us and she was saying the F word as loud as she could. My daughter automatically started saying it too.

Answer 4

Oh, for Pete's sake.

He's TWO. You're making a big deal out of it, and he's getting attention every time he does it. Even if it's negative attention, it's still attention, and he obviously craves it.

Here's what you do: the next time he does it, you tell him, quietly and gently, that it's not a nice word for little boys to say. And then you ignore it. Really. You ignore it, totally, after that.

He will forget if you don't keep reinforcing it.

Of course, his father will have to stop saying it around him, too, if you really want him to stop.

But by the time he's three, if it comes up again, you can tell him that there are different rules for children and grownups, that that's not a word suitable for children, and you will punish him if he continues to say it.

But I bet you won't have a problem by then.

Answer 5

I have two girls and cursing is every where you go no matter if you are not the one saying it he hears it . This is what worked for my girls they sort of rebel against there parents because they know mommy & daddy ' s limits can be pushed . So my mother started telling the girls that the curse words they were saying were bad and grandma doesn't like to hear them . After that every time they heard a bad word they would tell whom ever might have said the word that it was bad . So next time your at gragma's house or someone he would listen to like this have them say something to him . Just an idea . Worked for me .

Answer 6

A 2 year old child is not aware that what he is saying is wrong He is getting that idea from your reaction to his language.Try telling him that there are some words that only grown-ups use. Have a jar that you will let him fill everyday with his favorite treat if he doesn't say unacceptable words. This will give him positive reinforcement and he wil want to please you. The more you punish him , the more he will know that the f word is wrong and will want to say it. Using positive reinforcement will make him forget about wrong words. This will not happen over night, so have plenty of patience. Good luck!!

Answer 7

Sounds like a phasa, I would tell him that is not acceptable. Next time he says it, take something away from him like if he is playing with a toy take it and have him tell you what he did. Hopefully he will grow out of this like most kids do. My concern is where he picked this up.

Just be serious with him and look him in the eye and tell him he may not use that word he needs to use good words. And tell him words he can use instead of that word. And you use them around him to show him.

Just keep at him about it and never let him get away with it.

I would just keep taking toys away and then when he is good reward his toy back to him.

Answer 8

Smaking/spanking doesn't work. What I do when I don't want to hear the word anymore, I simply ignore it and don't give a reaction to it. Act like you didn't even notice. Sounds like your son keeps saying it to get a reatcion from you, good or bad.

Most importantly, Stay consistant. Switching from ignoring it to hitting him won't help. If you change the subject after he swears, he'll soon see that he's not going to get a reaction froom you.

Answer 9

Has it occurred to you to clean up your language and tell those around him to watch what they say too? I don't think that he would do it as often if he didn't get such a strong reaction. It sounds like he is after attention, and knows exactly how to push your buttons to get it.
Go back to ignoring him, and praise him for NOT using bad language, use sticker/reward charts, and every time he gets to a different mealtime without having said anything bad, give him a sticker, then choose a number of stickers that he has to get before he gets a reward.

Answer 10

Don't hit your son in the face EVER! That's abuse and it's rude and disrespectful. Just what do think that's going to teach him? To hit, that's what! As for f***, he had to have heard it somewhere. Think. Make sure profanity isn't used in your home or wherever you take your son. The key to discipline is consistency. Pick a method and stick with it. Try giving him a different word to use and reward him every time he uses it. But no hitting. This may take a long time to change but it's doable.