[dancesthroughlif...]

My son will be 3 next week and after spending a few days last week with some of my partners family has started saying "f***en before peoples names. The family members also have young kids of their own but never watch their language around any of them, they just have foul mouths. My son has said it maybe 4 or 5 times since then and I was just wondering the best way to deal with it. I was absolutely horrified when I first heard him say it, but I feel bad getting angry with him as it's not his fault really, he wasn't even saying it to be naughty he just thinks it's a new word. I told him it's a rude word to say and we shouldn't say it because it upsets people but I don't know if that has really sunk in.

[erindiv]

I ignore it. DD realizes that if she gets told off for a certain word then it must be an AWESOME word to repeat. Constantly.

[~maryanne~]

I ignore it. DD realizes that if she gets told off for a certain word then it must be an AWESOME word to repeat. Constantly.

I'd go with ignoring it or telling him calmly not to say it. Just don't make a big deal out of it. My partner and I never watched our language very well when ours were little and neither of them swore habitually

[Alpha_Chook]

Eamon has said that word once and I managed to change it to "truck" and not make a big deal of it.

[dancesthroughlif...]

Just want to clarify that I didn't get angry with him, and I did explain it calmly, it's just that he has said it again since saying that just wanted to see if anyone had any other ways to deal with it ,but seems I'm on the right track. I have never been a big swearer, only when I'm seeing red, so it shocked me to hear my little boy saying it!

[Unatheowl]

Totally ignore. If its not getting a reaction, he will forget it and move on. You could actually try to replace it with some other word or game to focus his attention away. It's happened with both of my kids and it lasted about 3 days maximum.

[kelnew]

My youngest went through this phase (he was 2). Many of my family and in laws are like yours, they dont care what they say in front of kids. I explained that this was a word for mummies and daddies not children and one day when he was a grown up he could use it - until then it was not allowed. He hasnt sworn since and since i didnt tell him NO or get upset he never said it again, however i heard him tell off another child for using it- he repeated what i had told him, the poor child looked shocked!!

[Lil Chickens]

My youngest went through this phase (he was 2). Many of my family and in laws are like yours, they dont care what they say in front of kids. I explained that this was a word for mummies and daddies not children and one day when he was a grown up he could use it - until then it was not allowed. He hasnt sworn since and since i didnt tell him NO or get upset he never said it again, however i heard him tell off another child for using it- he repeated what i had told him, the poor child looked shocked!!

This is exactly what we have said to DD and it worked. My family don't say **** etc but bloody, sh*t and crap come out a fair bit in normal conversation with my dad and my older sister. Dad tries to stop himself but he forgets, and my sister only visits from the NT once (sometimes twice) a year so it's hard for her to stop herself for a couple of weeks.

Most recently she called the onion in her spag bol "this crap" when telling her dad she didn't like it. He just told her that is a grown-up word and she should just say 'I don't like this'. That worked.

[~*MESS*~]

If he is saying it in front of a name, I'd say "no, his/her name is x" and leave it at that.

[sleepy11]

Oh no... I'm just waiting for this to happen with my son. Unfortunately is DH or rather FH! that uses it. No, I don't swear but it just makes me so frustrated.

My son has picked up sh*t, and like others have said, we don't react much to it, so luckily we don't hear it from him much anymore. I'm hoping that it will be the same with the f bomb.

I think I might try changing the word to another fun sound like fudging if it crops up.

Good luck, I feel your pain.