Potty Mouth!

Our four-year-old is using language we do not like—“dirty” or “potty” words that he hears from his friends at preschool.  The more we tell him not to do it, the more he does it.  Help!

When your little boy hears his friends at school using these words, he probably sees that they get a big reaction from others.  For some reason, children think dirty words are hilarious.  That big reaction is what your son is going for.  Make sure you don’t reward him.  It will be better to under-react than over-react.  When he uses an inappropriate word, calmly and quietly say, “We do not use that word in our family.”  It is appropriate to give a consequence for his repeated use of words you’ve asked him not to use.  The best consequence is “time out” to show him that he can be with the family only when he uses the type of language the family chooses.  But remember—be consistent and be calm.  Never give him the satisfaction of seeing you overreact to his language.  This won’t last forever!