How to Stop Swearing in Front of Your Kids

Children are impressionable beings, and they tend to adopt the language of those around them as an acceptable form of communication. When you swear in front of your children, you run the risk of them picking up your bad habit. Fortunately, once you've realized you need to stop swearing in front of your kids, you've won part of the battle. However, winning the rest of the battle against a bad language habit takes a strategic plan of action and a committed attitude.

Instructions

    • 1

      Tell your children that you're going to stop swearing. Explain to them why you believe it's important for you to stop using inappropriate language, such as because it's disrespectful, offensive and sets a bad example.

    • 2

      Choose some substitute words or phrases to use when you become upset or frustrated. Examples include "fiddlesticks," "drat" or "fudge nuggets."

    • 3

      Visualize yourself using the alternative words or phrases in situations that would trigger you to swear in front of your children. According to Russell Poldrack, a neurobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, using a visualization technique can prove helpful to people who are trying to break a bad habit.

    • 4

      Practice adding descriptive words, phrases and inflections to your speech, instead of relying on expletives to communicate your feelings. For instance, if a careless child drops a glass of liquid, make a statement such as "Wow, we have a mess to clean up!"

    • 5

      Think positively, embrace challenges, and take a moment to breathe before reacting to stressful or annoying situations.

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