In general our kids language is fairly clean, but when Magda gets mad, she started to use the word stupid way too much (as in once is too much when referring to a parent). So after Simone started joyfully and clearly repeating "stupid momma", we decided to clamp down on it.
We agreed on the s-word rule where we'd dock Magda $0.25 every time she uses it and, to make it fair, we would have to watch our language and if we said "stupid" we'd have to give her $0.25.
That's actually been working quite well and Magda doesn't complain too much when she looses the occasional quarter. We did have to come up with some exceptions, such as "you can say it if you're reading a book where it's written" and we don't really enforce it when it's not said in a mean spirited way. And she now has fun with the adjective "stupendous".
At this point, when Magda gets mad, she's usually quite careful about what she says. Which leads to conversations like this:
Magda (mad): This ... is "the s-word"!
Me: You mean "sweet"?
Magda: No, the other s-word!
Me: You mean "super"?
Magda: No, the bad s-word!
Me: "Sad"?
Magda (spelling it out to avoid the penalty): No S-T-O-P-I-D!
Me (trying very hard not to laugh)
Today, Magda and Jennifer had been butting heads over all sorts of things. Until at some point Magda stormed off to her room where her piggy bank is, and then promptly returned back, handed Jennifer a quarter and said "Momma, you're stupid!" I guess sometimes it's worth the money to let it out on purpose.
We agreed on the s-word rule where we'd dock Magda $0.25 every time she uses it and, to make it fair, we would have to watch our language and if we said "stupid" we'd have to give her $0.25.
That's actually been working quite well and Magda doesn't complain too much when she looses the occasional quarter. We did have to come up with some exceptions, such as "you can say it if you're reading a book where it's written" and we don't really enforce it when it's not said in a mean spirited way. And she now has fun with the adjective "stupendous".
At this point, when Magda gets mad, she's usually quite careful about what she says. Which leads to conversations like this:
Magda (mad): This ... is "the s-word"!
Me: You mean "sweet"?
Magda: No, the other s-word!
Me: You mean "super"?
Magda: No, the bad s-word!
Me: "Sad"?
Magda (spelling it out to avoid the penalty): No S-T-O-P-I-D!
Me (trying very hard not to laugh)
Today, Magda and Jennifer had been butting heads over all sorts of things. Until at some point Magda stormed off to her room where her piggy bank is, and then promptly returned back, handed Jennifer a quarter and said "Momma, you're stupid!" I guess sometimes it's worth the money to let it out on purpose.
