My younger teen seems to have picked up a bad habit of swearing for the slightest thing. All I hear all day is F this and F that. I don't want to come down heavily, because his dad swears sometimes too and it seems hypocritical. But it's become a habit and I am scared he'll let slip in class or on the sports field and get into trouble. Also as he goes forward into an interview environment for university it think it would be a disadvantage. I thought of instituting something like a swearing fine, but it seems unfair since it would clearly be aimed at him, as his sister doesn't swear. Well, not that I've heard.

I think you should, maybe then he'll learn to get rid of the habit!

Uhm, yes - it's a difficult one - firstly I think you should talk with his dad about his swearing (but, this should have been done years ago) - you can hardly blame your child when this type of language is sometimes spoken in your house ... this essentially makes it ok to swear - so - as a family you should really decide together that this is not appropriate language and that in YOUR HOUSE this is not acceptable ... You will probably find that he feels "empowered" and in control when he talks this way, it is probably also the way he and his friends talk ... only thing you can do is make a rule (which includes Dad), in saying in YOUR HOUSE this type of language will not be tolerated, and that a foul language penalty will be given to ANYONE (Including Dad) that uses this type of language - I dont think you should make too big a deal about it - he probably enjoys the attention/reaction he gets when he uses this type of language ... good luck!

So by inference a non-christian home isn't a good one, and you can't talk to your kids?

To the O.P: let the kid swear. Trying to stop it will encourage it. Rather make sure he understands that there's a time and place for it, and that there are possible social consequences for letting a few f's & c's out around the wrong people. It's an important life lesson for teens to learn to moderate their own behavior rather than be forced into doing it. Encourage him to stop, by all means, but don't make too much of a big deal out of it.

Sam Wilson makes a case for swearing with and in front of kids in this much discussed article on Parent24: 'I swear with my children. On purpose.'

Tell the father of this kid to wake the hell up and act like a responsible parent. This kid is a clear reflection of the bad fathering.

Children learn mostly by example so if you dont swear tell him that most people dont think that it is cool when people swear in front of them. I agree that it is a good idea to get his father's buy-in and ask him to try and stop swearing as well. At least get him to stop swearing in your home and in front of his family and restrict it to his friends and maybe it will eventually occur less and less. My father always used to say that people swear because they dont have enough knowledge of a language to express themselves properly. Good luck.

And you sound like an a$$hole.

My kids know they are not allowed to swear, even thought their friends swear. Just because their friends swear does not mean they are allowed to. Parents take control!

LOL F this and F that. thanks u just made my day. U funny