Children Who Curse
Written by: Kenneth-Michael
Children are mirror images of their parents. So, it should be no surprise to a parent when their child suddenly starts cursing. Not only is the child cursing, but he is able to form complete sentences around these words. Studies have shown that children under the age of three are likely to pick up the habits of others. The first time a child usually utters a curse word, the parents typically find it cute or funny. It is rare that a parent corrects the child when they initially say the word.
This was the case of Dawn Leonard, 30, who says she first heard her son, now 8 years-old, cursing at one. “I was shocked when I first heard the word come out of his mouth,” says Leonard. She remembers that they were in the car driving and all of sudden the f-word came out his mouth. Well, it didn’t come out of his mouth first. “Someone had just cut me off and, reacting without thinking that he was in the car, I said the word.”
Cook feels if she were to forbid her children from cursing, then they would just do it behind her back. “I can’t watch my children 24-7.”
Initially, she says that she was shocked, but laughed at the incident. It wasn’t until he started using the word frequently and around others that she decided to correct the situation. “I stopped cursing around him. And when I felt the need to curse, I would use replacement words,” says Leonard. As opposed to using the f-word, she would replace it with words like “fumble” or “bubble”. She admits that it did take some time to adjust to changing her word choice, but it worked for her son.
“I haven’t heard him say a curse word since those few incidents, when he was one,” says Leonard.
Psychologists call this process when children start to mimic the words of other, especially adults, as “learning language”. Psychologists say that, not only do parents have to worry about how their language affects a child, but also how the language of their friends may influence them. This is referred to as the pressure to be cool or fit in, sort of like peer pressure. Also, psychologists state that cursing is a way for children and teenagers to release any built-up tension or frustration.
“I was shocked when I first heard the word come out of his mouth,” says Leonard.
Gail Cook, 51, remembers the first time she heard her children curse. They were at the time both 15 years-old. “I sort of thought of it as a rite of passage type things,” says Cook. “They were in their bedroom and I heard language that I wasn’t familiar with coming from their room.” Cook says that she sat down and talked with her kids after hearing those words.
“I really don’t have a problem with it, as long as they are respectful.” By that she means that they are not using those words around her or in the house. “I know that I raised my children right. So, I know they aren’t in the street just cursing at everyone.” Cook feels if she were to forbid her children from cursing, then they would just do it behind her back. “I can’t watch my children 24-7.”
When I was a little boy growing up, words like “lie” were considered curse words in my house along with the others. As a matter of fact, these are still considered curse words that I am not allowed to use at home. I don’t agree with children cursing, no matter the age, and think that they should be reprimanded in some way.
Overall, parents need to correct their children.
