How do you handle preschooler "mean talk"?

[hopefulfaith]

We've never had a real issue with this, but my ds started preschool last month. Lately, I've been hearing so much talk that is just ... yucky.

"I'm going to boom his leg full of bullets and then he will fall down and not walk!"

"This guy has a sword and he's going to whack that guy and then he will be dead!"

"You're dead! You're dead! You're dead! Hahahahahahahahahaha!"


...I hate it.

How do you deal?? I don't want to be punitive, but I want to convey the message that this is not appropriate/healthy/whatever. I don't know how to ignore it - is that condoning it? - or to address it and remind ds ... and when I walk away, he's already started on his next "dead!!" scenario.

What do you all do?

[hopefulfaith]

Anybody?

[Katrinaquerida]

My boys talk this way sometimes too. I just remind them that death is not funny its serious and that I dont like to hear that kind of talk.

[ainh]

Ugh. I'm dealing with this too. DS gloms onto this kind of talk and I hate it. I can sometimes redirect it -- a la Playful Parenting -- by saying don't you think it would be cooler if it was a water gun or a "love gun" and they were have a fun fight? Often I just say "you can play that game with the boys at the park, but it's not fun for me to hear those words right now".

[Lupena]

My son doesn't watch any tv, but he does sneak my dh's tin tins and is remarkably anti-authority, and protective of animals. For example " Mummy, hawks eat our pigeons, I'll cut him down..!" ( with vigourous swinging..) Seems to want to do violence to police men, similar sword comments to yours.

I just take it lightly, saying things like " huh, I wouldn't do that, I don't like hitting.." and let it go, it just seems to pass. ( PS, I do get angry about animal treatment issues, guess where he gets it! )