Did you hear your kids cursing one fine day, and were taken by surprise?
Adam! You’re only 5, where did you learn to say that word?
You may find it difficult to believe that kids these days have started cursing at an earlier age. However, there has been a rise in adult swearing in recent years. Hence, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that younger kids are cursing, too.
Some might think that by restricting their kids from viewing maturely rated content, it is good enough as protection. What most parents may not realise though, is that kids don’t usually pick it up from the television. They actually still have other access to curse words beyond a screen!
Your Child May Have Learned To Swear From You
Kids younger than 4 years old will mostly mimic what they hear from their daily lives. They usually won’t understand most of what they are saying and when they hear you curse, they will pick it up. Moreover, most people tend to find it funny and laugh it off. However, this may be one of the reasons why they just can’t stop using inappropriate words! By giving them a strong reaction, they are likely to repeat in the future. This stems from the fact kids usually crave attention from their parents, or other adults in the house. So, if they get a positive one out of you, they understand it as a good thing and will do it again.
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Try to fit in socially
This usually happens to kids who have already started going to kindergartens and schools. When they hear their friends say these words, it may make them feel cool and want to be accepted in the group. They may also want to stand out as being funny with their misuse of language.
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Express negative feelings
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When they are get older, school kids will usually start to curse as a response to something painful like when they fall down or when they are upset and frustrated.
What Can You Do To Stop Your Kids from Cursing?
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Ask them if they know the meaning of the swear word
If the answer is ‘Yes’, advise your child that it is not suitable for them to utter it, and explain why. Teach them to substitute the word with something else that is more appropriate and polite.
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Stay calm
As mentioned earlier, your strong reaction will make them say it more frequently as they want your attention. So, stay calm and don’t get overly angry with them. You may even want to ignore it sometimes. Remember that they are observing your reaction. If you react steadily and explain it wisely, they might even want to stop cursing, too.
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‘No cursing’ rule also applies to you
“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” – James Baldwin
Your children might question why you’re allowed to curse when you always prohibit them from doing the same. Remind your partner and other adults in the house or visiting guests to refrain from using such words in their presence. If it happens, tell your kids that you and the other adults are also struggling from the same problem. Remember to place the emphasis on how you are working on stopping.
Now that you have realised kids are such imitators, you should really consider limiting their possible access to these words. Let’s all practice the art of clean language always and eradicate our kids’ cursing!