My 2 1/2 year old dd has been on a roll of "hating" things. Now I know that she doesn't grasp the full meaning of the word. When she says she hates blank I try to say, what you mean is you don't like blank and try to find out why. I try to talk through that resentment of something, helping her better express her feelings and words. I know it is frustrating to her that she can't quite express what she feels, (although she is quite articulate for her age!) but my goodness it is getting hard to hear hate all the time. especially when she says it to a family member. Any ideas, thoughts, been there done that?
The word "hate"
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I would make no issue out of it at all. If you do make an issue of it, be assured the word will stick around a lot longer.
I remember when I was very young my mom always made an issue out of that word. She would say "you don't 'hate' it...." or "don't say hate..."
I remember thinking "yes I DO hate it...." or "why NOT say hate?....what's the big deal here?"
I just think you should lighten up. It's okay not to like the word. But get over it and soon she'll stop using it. But again, turning it into some sort of issue will only give the word all that more significance.
I remember when I was very young my mom always made an issue out of that word. She would say "you don't 'hate' it...." or "don't say hate..."
I remember thinking "yes I DO hate it...." or "why NOT say hate?....what's the big deal here?"
I just think you should lighten up. It's okay not to like the word. But get over it and soon she'll stop using it. But again, turning it into some sort of issue will only give the word all that more significance.
I would not worry too much about the word. It is just a word, and she is trying it out. I'm sure she has an idea that it is a "strong" word, because of the context in which she hears it used. So, she is trying it on to see how it works, how it feels, and how people react when she says it.
I never get upset about dd using the word hate, and I don't tell her not to use it or suggest that she use other words. Even when she says that she hates me
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. But I do inform her that the word "hate" is a very strong word, and it is a hurtful word. It hurts feelings, similar to namecalling.
I never get upset about dd using the word hate, and I don't tell her not to use it or suggest that she use other words. Even when she says that she hates me
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Try a subsitution. My kids could sometimes be switched to a more interesting sounding word. Try abhor, dislike, distasteful, unsavory, unappealing, etc, etc. get out the dictionary and get going.
When the kids used the word "butt" a little too often, I swapped them over to using gluetious maximus for a while. Too funny to hear that come out of a toddlers' mouth.
When the kids used the word "butt" a little too often, I swapped them over to using gluetious maximus for a while. Too funny to hear that come out of a toddlers' mouth.
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