What can you do when children use bad language?

The question:

What can we do when little children (3-5 years old) use bad words? It’s beyond our comprehension that they can use such language. What attitude should the parents and the older brothers have?

The adults should not use bad language

I have seen cases when parents were smoking, but they spanked their child badly when they caught him smoking. How can the child not smoke when he sees his parents doing that, when cigarettes are always at his disposal? Once Jesus Christ said:

Woe to the world because if its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! (Matthew 18:7)(NASB)

The same truth is applicable when it comes to speaking. The adults in the house should use nice words if they want their children to follow their example and not use bad words. The Scripture also tells us what kind of talk God wants to find in our homes:

And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. (Ephesians 5:4)(NASB)

Verify the source of the bad language your child learned

If there is no bad language in the house, then your child learned it from other sources, like friends and kindergarten. It is sufficient for one child in the whole class to use such words, and the rest of the children would quickly learn them, as it is written in the Bible:

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good moral.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)(NASB)

It is the parent’s duty to urgently verify where his child gets the bad talk from and to guard his child against bad influences. It is even more important to teach the child how to protect himself from such influences. We taught our children to avoid friendship with children who use dirty talk. This way, when we moved to a new house, my sons invited their neighbor children in our yard to play. When they heard one of them using bad language, they told him that if he doesn’t stop, they can not play anymore together nor continue to be friends. This way, the other child also learned his lesson and stopped using inappropriate words in the presence of our children.

Teach the child how his talk should be

We have the Holy Scriptures, and we should always teach our children the Word of God. Let’s teach them the words they should use or avoid, let’s rebuke them according to the Word of God. Let’s teach about the dangers of bad friendships and how to protect themselves against them.

Rebuke the child if he uses bad language

If you heard your child talking unsuitably, reprove him and offer explanations why it is not right for him to talk this way.

Penalize the child if he doesn’t need the rebuke

The Word of God tells us:

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. (Proverbs 22:15)(NASB)

If the child neglects the reproof and continues talking dirty words, the parent should apply on him an effective punishment which will make him understand that the use of bad language leads to destruction. If it does not give the expected results, the parent needs to find the form of punishment that would be effective, but never give up on helping the child leave out his bad language.

Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death. (Proverbs 19:18)(NASB)

Pray for your children

We can not know everything about our children, but our God knows everything. That’s why; let’s always pray to our Father for the protection and welfare of our children.
When I pray for my children, I always pray that God will keep them from evil people and influences.