How to Discipline a Child for Bad Language

Children are exposed to bad language and curse words in the home, at school and through the television as these slang terms have become an everyday part of the American lexicon. At some point these expletives are going to make their way into your child's vocabulary. The trick is to not shield them from this inevitable exposure, but learn how to offer a fair and just punishment that will teach him or her that using these types of words is unacceptable.

Instructions

    • 1

      Teach a child that calling another person one of these curse words is hurtful. A child must learn to take responsibility for what comes out of his or her mouth and that actions sometimes have consequences, such as a loss of a privilege or a toy. Children also sometimes learn the hard way that calling a peer a bad word can lead to retaliation and that it is the curser's responsibility to deal with this unfortunate consequence.

    • 2

      Watch the use of swearing in your own home. Children are like parrots. They will repeat just about everything they hear. They also assume that if mommy and daddy are saying these words, they must be okay. Show them through example that using a proper vocabulary is the only acceptable way in your home and that bad language will lead to punishments such as the loss of television, computer time or a treasured toy.

    • 3

      You should reward the use of good language through praise. When your child expresses his or her anger without using a curse words, show your enthusiasm by saying phrases such as "I'm so proud of you for saying what you said," or "Good job. That was a good use of your words." Do not reward them too much, especially if the reward is candy or any other object. They should learn that the use of proper language is expected of them regardless. If your children do not follow these language guidelines, use timeout as a punishment. Give your child 1 minute for each year of their age. For example, a four year old would be in timeout for four minutes.

    • 4

      Separate your children for a few minutes if they become frustrated with one another and begin to fling expletives back and forth. Take them to two different rooms, sit each down and explain why that language is not used in your household. When the two have calmed down, bring them back together and allow them to play. If the swearing begins again, separate them and once again explain your expectations.

    • 5

      No matter what the situation, it is always good to give your child one warning before you hand down a punishment. If the one warning is ignored, send your child to his or her room. If the child's bad behavior continues after this first small punishment, ground him or her to the bedroom for the remainder of the evening. Make the consequences more severe as their disobedience continues.

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