My little son who turns three in a few months has begun to say bad words. The first time it made us a little funny even when we didn't prove it and tried to ignore it. But as the days went by and he saw that he insisted on repeating them even when playing, we have searched for some information and consulted the teacher to know what to do.
As Dolores explains well, saying swear words is a behavior that appears in children between 3 and 5 years old that seeks attention. They are probably told to imitate other children in school or older siblings.
The truth is that we should try not to repeat this behavior and that the child does not assume them as part of his daily vocabulary.
Some tips we should follow are:
Avoid laughing or show that we are funny.
Set an example at home and if we miss any, apologize immediately and say that should not be said.
Ignore it if you insist on saying bad words.
Offer an alternative expression if you use the curse word to show anger.
Try not to quarrel, to avoid using them to get our attention. And just scold him firmly and make him see that it is wrong to say them especially when he says a word that may offend others or when the behavior is so repetitive that we want to make it clear that it is something that we will not tolerate.
With Rodrigo it has worked for me and it does not mean that he has never said it again, but he already knows that it is not right to say swear words. Even when he hears a cousin or little friend say it corrects him and says that word is not said.
