Yeah, this isn't something I'm proud of to say the least. It started off with a word every now and then, but last week it escalated.
Her cuss words of choice are 'Oh my God', which taking God's name in vain is a cardinal sin, and 'damn', which she uses to describe an object. When I explained that using damn as an adjective is inappropriate, she asked what an adjective was.
*sigh* When do they teach proper grammar nowadays?
So, hubster and I are nipping this in the bud. When she uses a cuss word, she loses TV for the rest of the day. If it is late in the day when she cusses, she loses TV privileges for the next day. This includes Nintendo DS, Wii, and the computer, anything electronic. She lost TV for Saturday AND Sunday. And no, we aren't punishing ourselves, we make the child go to her room if we want to watch something.
I also told her not to hang around any kids who cuss, because then it will be harder to break the habit. I know hubster and I do use cuss words. Hubster is worse than I am, and we will have to catch ourselves before we say the bad words. So this is good practice for us, too.
Anyway, one good thing HAS come out of her punishment--she's started reading again. Over the last two days, she finished Judy Moody and started a Junie B she got for Christmas. So I'm pretty happy with that outcome.
Write on!
Addendum: Child fessed up that a friend at school is the bad influence. Hate to say it, but I suspected this child was the problem.
Just wait till she hits her early teens. I don't have much trouble with my daughter, who is 13, but my son is a different story. Although, I think he knows better than to say it in front of us...at least most the time. :)
ReplyDeleteAshlynn
Oh, honey! I don't even what to think about that! Love my daughter, but I DO NOT look foreward to puberty! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're a good mom. Smart to let her know it's not okay to say certain words. Even if we say them. lol
ReplyDeleteThanks, Edie. I've always hated the double standards we adults have. I think hubster and I need to get punished if we allow too many bad words out of our mouths.
ReplyDeleteOur kiddo went through that, too. Started when he was about three and it was kind of cute. Until the day he said something, I got onto him for it, and he whispered, "Mama is a b*tch."
ReplyDeleteHe was much older before he cussed in front of me again, and he's never made that particular comment again -- at least, not where I could hear.
Marilyn
Thanks for stopping by, Marilyn! I knew the day would come when we'd have to go through with our threats, though I didn't think it would result in her reading more. Hm, maybe she needs to be 'punished' more often.
ReplyDeleteThere was NO cussing in my home growing up. Even saying "shoot" got me in trouble in 2nd grade.
ReplyDeleteOne day my baby sister came home from playing with a friend, got up to the dinner table and said, "Pass the damn corn, please."
Mom shrieked and almost fainted dead away.
When she came to, she didn't let my baby sister play with her friend for a long, long time.
My kids weren't brave enough to cuss in front of me until they were about grown--and still aren't brave (or stupid) enough to say 'Mama is a bi*ch' with me in hearing range.
I have a feeling they've thought it a time or two.
Great blog, Magolla.
Susan
Too funny, Susan! Your mom and dad ran a tight ship, as did you! We are not so good at it, but I think we have nipped it in the bud. :-(
ReplyDeleteFind your kid's Achilles heel and then you have the power of behavior modification!
Don't let your kid near me....I think I've invented a few entirely original ways to string cuss words together.
ReplyDeleteSome days I'd almost be happier to hear kids cussin' than to hear the number of times they insert "Like", "you know" and "I mean" into their sentences. That makes me crazy!
Hm, maybe we'll wait to intro the kiddo to you until she's a little older.
ReplyDeleteI think the 'like', 'ya knows' and 'I means' hit when the kids are a little older--right around puberty.
Double Whammy!