Children with potty mouths are a typical scene in every house. Your child can do something undesirable, and when you engage him in a conversation about it, he could very well pout and run away. When it gets to the worst, a child may say some of the not-so-polite words he or she has learned from friends or even on social media.
When parents react to certain words, children become more intrigued about using them. Children as young as four years old may use words to get some reaction from mom or dad to test the limits. How can you handle some of the awkward situations you may face with your child?
Allow Opportunities For The Child To Have Some Control
That includes allowing the child to make decisions about things such as what costume he or she should wear to their friend’s costume party, or what family activity to do after Thanksgiving dinner.
If a parent wants to have a say about what his or her child should wear to a particular event, the parent should give guidance but not force his or her taste on the child. As a way to motivate a child in the desired direction, parents.com advises that a parent can reward excellent performance with stickers or with poker chips. In that way, the child will exercise their independence without testing his or her parent's limits.
Give The Child Plenty Of Attention
A parent can spend at least 30 minutes every day with his or her child. For children, the basic need for belonging and significance are met satisfactorily when a parent gives the child his or her undivided attention.
Taking time to play dress-up with your child or read your child's favorite book gives him or her the power and attention that he or she needs. For a few minutes, the child will feel like he or she is calling the shots.
Consequently, put away any gadget that might distract you from giving your undivided attention to your child. To make the experience more meaningful, let your child come up with a name for the 30 minutes you will be spending together every day. The names can be – ‘Special daddy-son time,' or 'Playdate with mommy.'
Let The Child Know What To Expect
In other words, a parent should refer to the rules. Put limits in place and abide by them. Setting rules provide structure and routine that helps children to be aware of what to expect.
According to Psychology Today, pouting and backtalk are simply resistance to expectations that have not been clearly outlined and enforced. Flexibility is a useful skill for parents, but consistency and firmness will yield the success any parent would desire to have.
Important to note, a parent should avoid being strict or harsh all the time toward his or her child. Instead, the parent should simply refer to the rules that he or she has put in place.
Remain Calm And Keep Your Cool
“I’m not doing that!” While your child is being all dramatic about breaking a rule, just be the unimpressed spectator.
Instead of responding to your child's remark by saying, "don't give me that tone, young man," simply say, "I feel hurt by the way you are talking to me right now. I am walking away, and we can talk again when you can speak more respectfully to me.”
By walking away, a parent sends the message that he or she refuses to take part in a power struggle. When a child has no one to fight with, he or she will stop whining.
A Parent Should Watch What He Or She Says
If a child struggles with foul language, a parent does not have to play a role in it. However, when a parent swears at his or her child, a parent should acknowledge his or her slip of the tongue to take ownership of his or her mistake.
More importantly, a parent should be aware of his or her contribution to such situations. Consequently, a parent can reduce the number of orders and correcting he or she does with the children. That’s because children can become discouraged from all that.
A proactive parent can spend intentional time engaging with the children to ward off the foul talk.
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