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I would have to agree with some of the comments that were posted before mine. I would explain to the child what the word means and how it might make others feel. I also think that the child should be punished such as through time out. The child might still be too young to know how to figure out right from wrong, but if you do the punishment, such as time out, correctly the child will then be able to connect what you have said about saying things like that being mean or hurtful to the consequences of their actions. You need to give the child a warning about the word. If he continues using it then put him in time out. Once the time for the time out is up you should then talk to the child making sure that he understands why he was put into time out. Explain to him that he is not to use that type of language and if he does use that type of language he will then be punished for it.

 

Good Luck,

Meagan Scartozzi

I have a daughter that is seventeen months now, and picked up that same word a while ago. We just stopped paying attention to her whenever she said it, we also watched to make sure no one else said it around her. I think that she was saying in the beginning because we would all make such a big deal out of it, then I realized that ignoring it made her say it less, and eventually she just stopped and hasn't said it since. I think that the steps that you are taking would be the exact ones that I would have taken had this persisted. I think that maybe with time he will grow out of this stage, and probably move on to something else that's new and exciting. I can't believe that something as child friendly as Disney didn't think about this being a problem for some children. It is not a nice word, and shouldn't be used in children's movies, you would think that Disney would be on top of that stuff. I guess you have to preview even those movies to make sure that it's something suitable for your child to watch. I hope that he learns something new soon so he occupy his time with something else.

Good Luck,

Venessa Martinez
 

I think that a lot of children and parents go through this stage.  I know it is frustrating because my nephew is currently going through this.  My sister-in-law once read that it is best to ignore them and not encourage their use of the word.  However, my suggestion to you would be to use the strategy of active play in order to show your son how the use of that word can really hurt someone’s feelings.  A way you might demonstrate to him is by using his favorite two stuff animals and act out how the use of the word “stupid” can really hurt someone’s feelings.       

Dear Sox Daddy,

I do not have any children but I have heard horror stories when children start to pick things up from movies that you do not want them to hear.  Its a parent's nightmare.  I would try a reward system for your child.  Everytime that your son says something good towards somebody else or himself give him a reward with an incentive at the end. For example, you may set up a jar using marbles or coins (or anything you would like) to use to help motivate your child. Everytime the child says something positive about himself or someone else, you can add your "marble" to the jar. Everytime the child says something negative, such as "stupid", you take a "marble" out of the jar. Then, when the whole jar is filled, the child would receive a "prize". The "prize" could be anything you would like. Maybe it could be a new toy the child really would like or you could take the child to their favorite place to eat. Another item you could use is pennies. Everytime the child gets ten pennies, he could trade it in for a dime. Everytime he gets ten dimes he could trade it in for a dollar and so on. This is also a great way to teach your child about money! The important thing to remember is that this should be worked on together and discussed with your child so he feels as if he has some control. Therefore, talk to him about some things he would want to work toward. If he picks the incentive, he will be more willing to work toward the end goal. I hope this helps you in some way! Good Luck!

 

 

I am a big fan of consistently modeling what behaviors you expect and gently reminding a child of what is not considered acceptable in your home. A toddler can understand a correction such as "We don't use that word. Are you mad (sad, hungry, whatever)?"  I also agree with limiting the amount and types of media that our toddlers are exposed to in favor of quiet, imaginative play with parents, siblings and friends - or solo. In the note above you mentioned pennies and marbles. That may work for an older child, but would not be safe in a home with toddlers (who mouth items).