Q&A for How to Avoid Saying Bad Words

If you think you actually have anger issues, you should tell an adult and/or your doctor. But, if it is just hormones then I think the best way to prevent this is to just say it in your head, or use something like a stress ball when you're getting upset. (But to be honest, a boy being inappropriate is a perfectly normal reason to get angry.) Just think calmly and try to have a more "carefree" aura about the situation, you'll soon practice that enough to not go straight to saying vulgar words and instead work it out peacefully.

Just say more appropriate words rather than the really offensive ones. For example, instead of saying the F word, say, "Flipping" or "Freaking" or "Fudge" or "Frickin", and for the S word, "sugar", "shoot", "shiz", "shingles", "crap" or "crud."

When you feel that surge of red in your head, take a small step back. Moving or touching something can help bring you back to reality. Take deep breaths. If nothing works, just make a smart, but not harsh sarcastic comment and walk away from the person. Get to a quiet place. Often punching pillows does help.

It wouldn't really trigger your urge to cuss, but since so many rap songs have swear words, you would eventually become desensitized to them. It's okay to listen to rap music as long as there are no bad words, especially during those times when you're still training yourself to avoid cursing.

First, read the Bible and pray about your struggle. God wants to guide you personally in this: if you take the time to talk to Him about it, and to listen, He will show you what to do.

Don't give in to peer pressure. If this person is your "friend," then they should respect if you don't want to cuss.

You could try only using curse words on special occasions or when you're really upset. Your friends won't think you're a prude, but you won't feel pressured to say words that you don't want to. You could also just try finding a new group of friends that doesn't curse as much.

Try thinking silly made-up words instead. It can be a friendly variation of the real work (such as "duck" for the f-word) or whatever you'd like! As long as it isn't the real word, you're good. If you think of a bad word, just correct yourself in your head with the new word.

Establish the good habit of speaking after thinking. You can also use replacement words, like "darn!", "sugar!" or "blast!" instead of more offensive terms.

Have you expressed that you wish them to stop? If you have, and they continue to swear around you without any regard for your feelings on the matter, you might consider whether they're friends worth keeping. If they try, but still swear occasionally, work with that. Once it's become a bad habit, swearing is hard to stop entirely overnight. Be a good example and hopefully your friends will eventually want to change.

Try to notice yourself getting angry before you lose control. Stop immediately and ask yourself, "Why am I angry?" "Is cursing going to solve this problem?" "What can I do instead?" Maybe walk away from this situation, or try to voice your frustration in a more constructive way. Self-control is key. You might also want to try meditation/deep breathing exercises to control your anger.

Your apology must be sincere. No joking, no kidding about it. If he/she forgives you, then you should avoid swearing at that person in the future. If he/she doesn't, then give him/her more time to think about it and apologize again.

It's not guaranteed, but it will certainly help. To speak clearly requires you to increase the amount of thought you put into thinking between when what you want to say appears in your head and when you actually say it, giving you more chance to cancel out swear words. It doesn't mean that time becomes longer, just that you think more actively. Other things you can try in addition to elocution lessons are learning more words or learning how to interpret (i.e. orally translate what someone says into a different language, as opposed to in writing).

We all swear at times. It depends on the situation though. You wouldn't swear in church or in front of your parents or in-laws. Some people swear with their friends, usually when out having a good time. Just think, even if you change 'f*ck' to fish, you still mean the same thing.

Whether or not they should or shouldn't, grandparents are two generations--usually a good 40 years--above you. It may not set a good example, but they've earned the right to make their own decisions.