Dealing With Bathroom Humor

One day out of the mouth of your beautiful child comes a word or a stream of words so shocking, so unexpected that you cannot believe your ears. What should you do?

• Well first, don't overreact. The bad language is often used as an attention getter or a test to see what you will do. And don't reward it with laughter, no matter funny it all sounded.

• You might just ask your child if he or she knows what the word means; often kids don't. Explain the meaning matter of factly and say something like, "and we don't use those words in this house."

• Some parents still practice the old fashioned remedy of cleaning up dirty language with a quick pass of soap over a child's tongue. I don't know that I'm comfortable recommending it, but if you do use it, do follow it with a hug and a kiss.

• You can also set up a system of cash fines, if your child is old enough and has an allowance.

• Another possibility is to tell your child to go ahead, use all the words that he or she chooses, but to confine bathroom humor to the bathroom. It's no fun to be shocking all alone in such a boring place.

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