Last fall, Zip was watching “Free Willy,” and heard the phrase, “Shut Up!”
It was used fairly innocuously, but that didn’t stop my boy from adopting it as his favorite power word. No sir, he bandied it around and slung it at us whenever he found the opportunity. It didn’t help to tell him that it was offensive, that’s why he was using it.
During our road trip over Thanksgiving, we tried using reverse psychology to get him to knock it off. He’d tell us all to shut up, and we’d laugh and say, “no, you shut up!”
This made him furious and he spent half the trip saying, “No you Shut-upa-ME!!!”
We’ve continued to remind him that it’s not a word we use in this house, and he’s continued to fling it at us when bringing out his big guns.
This past weekend we went to visit my mom, and he tried it out on her. She used her role as the fun playful grandma to her advantage and, momentarily, stopped in her tracks, looked at him right in the eye, and said firmly, “We Never, Ever, use THAT word in THIS house!”
He didn’t say it again.
We all know it’s just who he is – he’s sweet and lovely, and a bit crass – but it’s still our job to try and civilize him.
Recently, a neighbor told me a trick her friend uses with her son. Every time he curses, she makes him brush his teeth. There’s no argument. It’s all on him. We’ve decided to employ it here too.
My boy may have a foul mouth, but, he’ll have a lovely smile.
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15 comments:
You're probably familiar with the Cars movie. When my son saw it, the character that stuck in his mind most was the Peterbilt truck that calls McQueen a "moron." He thinks that is the worst possible swear. He has tried them all, even the f-bomb, but never dares even whisper the M-word.From a developmental angle, can your kids spit when they brush yet? It's bugging me that I can't remember when my older one figured it out, but my (almost) four still can't.
The toothbrushing tactic is a great idea! Luckily, we haven't had any cursing from our little one yet. Though between her father and I and our accidental occasion (okay, often) use of curse words, it won't be long.
Leave it to Grandma. This works for my kids too. I can tell them to stop something and they don't but if Grandma uses to stern tone then stop. No questions asked.
GREAT IDEA! Better than my mom's idea to use Dawn dishsoap on my sister years ago ... she puked bubbles and ya know what? Still swears like a sailor.
That is a great idea, and I may have to employ it on the random times I hear my kids using that phrase. They know we don't use it on our house, either, but they tend to push their luck with it when they're in the basement playing and things get going. They think if they shut the basement door, I magically can't hear them. My youngest has been test driving 'idiot' lately, too, and so I can see the possibility where I'll be blinded by his smile!
Ooooh! Tooth brushing trumps the wasabi peanut deterrent I was trying to employ...and dentally healthier, too!
We have a lot of "What the...?" going on here...thanks, Spongebob. :(
That is a great idea! We had an early swearing stage with Jake - so far, in his "older" years that seems to have faded.
Nothing like a 2 yr old saying, "Dammit!"
I think my two learned Shut Up and You Idiot from animated films like Toy Story. Thanks Hollywood!
Oh no! I know that's our future but we haven't heard it just yet. The worst we've gotten is when Graham told my husband he was "too fat" to sit in his chair. He's not, by the way but my husband had joked that the dog was too fat to go down the slide earlier in the day. Oops.
That's a great idea. Wish I had heard of it...back in the day.
That last line is perfect!
We've never really had that problem. We just remind and ignore and it seems to go away...for now. But I like the tooth brushing idea.
damn funny post!
Ah, the ever-expanding universe of young verbiage ;)
Your mom's response is tried and tested; it works ;)
"Free Willy" changed my life. Luckily, I did not have the same outcome as your son! Although, outside of teaching at school, I cuss like a sailor. Maybe it all started from way back then! :)
We ahve been sooooo lucky not a curse word or a bad phrase yet and we have 2 one 7 and one 4 it's coming though I can feel it
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