Your 6-Year-Old: Potty mouth

Potty mouth

Playground potty mouth is a common "disease" of the school years. Kids seem to delight in passing on foul words and expressions to one another, even when they have no idea what they mean. Defuse the fun by calmly explaining, "That's not a nice word" or "That's not a word we use" and, once your child has been warned, make clear that consequences will follow repeat performances.

Your 6-year-old now

Young kids curse for a variety of reasons – which are worth remembering when your ears are burning and your blood pressure's rising. Some do it shock their parents; they know now that certain words are verboten and may get a rise from you. Sometimes they're just trying to show off in front of peers and older kids. They may also curse when they're angry or upset, simply copying behavior they see in other adults or teens or on TV.

Set firm rules about bad language. (And recognize that these rules apply to grownups as well – if you use those naughty words yourself, you can't expect your child not to use them.) Apply consequences when someone breaks the rules. Be sure to acknowledge your child's efforts to refrain from swearing, especially in times of stress or frustration.

At this age, kids may not understand how offensive bad language can be to others. They're still wrapped up in themselves. You may also want to explain what racist and sexist terms mean, if they come up, and how upsetting they can be.

Your life now

If your child doesn't seem to recover from a cold, beware. Persistent coughs accompanied by fever may signal pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that warrants medical attention.

Other symptoms can include headache, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, chest pain, and trouble breathing. Pneumonia can strike anytime, but it often follows a cold or other upper respiratory infection.