Context Problems

I'm happy to report that Sam has quit using the word "Poop" all the time. It's not a major part of his vocabulary anymore. But being a 5-year-old boy, he is still testing just what he can get away with saying. We went through this a little with Maria too, but she has always been easy and it would just take one warning for her to stop saying a word I considered inappropriate. But Sam is much more stubborn, and seems to be more influenced by what other kids are saying.

Yesterday he started saying "Oh my god." I corrected him and said he wasn't allowed to say it. And, as usual with his current phase, he asked me why not. I told him it wasn't nice. "But God isn't a bad word."

"No, not always. It depends on how you use it." At this point I realized he was not ready to understand the context of when its OK to say and not OK to say, so I just ended with "You say Oh my gosh, not oh my god, or you get in trouble." Then, luckily, it was time to go out to the bus for school, so the discussion was over and has not come up again yet.

Then last night in the tub, I was helping him wash and told him he needed to make certain he washed his penis. He told me that was a bad word and I wasn't allowed to say it. I told him it was OK if we were talking about that body part, but not OK to call someone a penis. He let it go but I can tell he doesn't really get the difference. Or maybe he does and is just trying to be difficult, I don't know. I imagine he'll catch on soon enough if he keeps getting in trouble for using these words when he's not supposed to.

It always amazes me how a different child can bring up so many new problems. I should have learned by now that raising Maria is no training for raising Sam, but wouldn't that make life easier? Although, maybe then I would be bored. I doubt it, though.