Okay, a real question for parents who have a problem swearing around their kids?

Question

I have a 13 month old daughter. I hate to admitt that I have one of the biggest potty mouths ever! I have tried curbing my swaering habit around my kid and I have improved quite a bit. My biggest problem is when I am feeling frustrated and that's when the real bad words slip out of my mouth (like when I am running late, I'll have 50 things in one arm and the baby in the other and I am droping everything on my way to the car!). My daughter only says two words, uh-oh and mama, I would be beyond mortified if her third work was F***!!! Does any one have any ideas on what I can do to stop this horrible habit?

Answer 1

Once the kids truly understand words it is important to make the distinction between adult words and kid words.

I grew up around all boys and miltary brats at that...so my launguage can be quite colorful when I stub a toe drop something or frustrated.

My kids pick on me for saying those bad words and I always apologize for losing my cool. But they also see the professional side of me when I work from home or they are at my office too. There they see a successful and brillant speaker who controls meetings with ease and always has proper grammar and tone in her diction.

Last year my oldest daughter on the ride home from my office looked at me and said, Mommy when I grow up will I talk like you so beautifully and will rooms full of people listen? She nearly made me cry it was so touching.

I think it's fine for kids to hear swearing in proper setting and context and understand that frustration is a good venting method for colorful language as an adult but equally so they should see examples of professional adults speaking with care and consideration during conversations so they can see there is a time and place for everything we may do with our language skills the good and the bad.

Answer 2

Practice makes perfect? I had to just keep making a conscious effort to curb my language. I still haven't quite mastered it while driving and my kids are 9 & 13. They've used some colorful words when they were little, but I just explained to them that they shouldn't use those types of words. If she does happen to use a word you don't approve of (and she will, every kid I know has), keep calm and whatever you do, don't laugh. It's one of those things that's funny, but not funny at the same time.

Answer 3

I do it all the time. The good thing is my kids know that some of the words I say are bad words and they make me pay for saying them. It's hard but think of substitute words for them instead. Like fudge, shoot, dang, heck. Sometimes though it's just good to let it all out. Im a hypocrite because I tell my kids not to curse but then I do it but for some reason, my kids don't cuss. And if they hear someone else cuss, they will immediately ask them for a quarter.

Answer 4

The only thing I know to tell you besides to continue trying to teach yourself not to say bad words...is not to emphasize the words when you say it. Don't make a huge deal out of "messing up" For example...don't say "what the F***?!" or "holy SH**!" and when a bad word accidently slips out, don't bring so much attention to the fact that you said a bad word. Your daughter might catch on that it's a bad word and try harder to say it to try to be funny. I've let some words slip out around little kids and unless you make a big deal out of it, they probably won't even notice that much. Just don't say bad words all the time and you'll be better off. Good luck

J

Answer 5

I think that there are lots of people in your position.
And when you look at your girl, maybe try and slow down the language a little.
I have a bad swearing habbit, both of my girls never use some of the words that i do, they know the difference.
Good luck to you,

Answer 6

So I'm not the only one who does that?

Besides trying to curb the potty mouth, that is about all the both of us can do.

Answer 7

Try now to substitute the swear word for a "nice" word. Instead of mother f*&ker try mother hubbard, or da*&it, try darn it, try some silly words or frazes..pitch a fit, soap soap soap TIDE!. I cuss like a sailor and try so hard not to around the kids.

Don't worry, some kids do use a cuss word in their "first words", but luckily no one understands them.

AND of course someone would throw the "church" thing in. ignore them!

Answer 8

A good thing to do is differentiate "adult" words...for instance, my kids know that there arent any "bad words" but they also know that there are several words that are off limits until they are adults.

Answer 9

Be patient...take a deep breath when things gone out of control....this will help you refresh your thoughts...repeat it 3 times.Wake up a lil' early if you like...so you can work more time...have your paper work fixed whenever you time...

Answer 10

sounds funny but learn a couple curse words in another language, that way when you say it she hears it and if she ever repeats it, hopefully, noone else will know what it means.