Why do kids swear?

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If you've suddenly heard your child swear for the first time, you're probably quite shocked, but don't worry, it's perfectly normal.

Most kids first start swear around the time they start primary school, although sometimes it's earlier than this. In extreme cases swear words might be some of the first words children use. If swearing is just a part of difficult behaviour, such as an interest in fires, lack of care towards pets, aggression, then you need to speak to your GP before you consult a psychologist.

Reasons kids use swear words

They've heard you! It's very difficult to censor yourself - you're a grown up, you're allowed to swear! But kids like to copy their parents and if they've heard you swearing they'll start to copy.
Maybe swearing has become a habit for them, just the way it does for adults.
Using swear words could be a way of attention seeking - especially if there's a house rule not to swear
Kids also know the power of swearing, so they might be doing it to upset someone on purpose or to impress someone.
If your kids are of school age then they'll be up against peer pressure to swear - so remember that you're battling against that too.

But all is not lost, read our 10 top tips on how to stop them from swearing

By Louise O'Connell