You Stupid

Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 2:15 pm Post subject: You Stupid

My 2 year old has a new, annoying habit.

Roughly 100 times a day, he says "You stupid!"

He says it to me, he says it to his father, he says it to his brother, he says it to random kids in the supermarket, he says it to pictures of people in books, he shouts it to people walking on the street that he is seeing from our window.

He's been doing this for some time, and I've been ignoring it, thinking that if I made a big deal of it, I'd only encourage him to do it more. But its just getting more and more frequent.
I mean, just while I'm writing this post, he said "You stupid" 45 times!!! (Seriously, no exaggeration. 25 times until I got to this part of the post, and then another 20 times as I wrote the second half.)

What do you suggest I do? Keep ignoring it? Discipline him? How? What type of disciplinary action for a 2 year old saying "You stupid"?

Btw, he has no clue what it means. He calls himself stupid, calls everyone stupid. Stupid just is his newfound favorite word. He's just lying there saying "You stupid, mommy stupid, abba stupid, Uriel stupid, shmaya stupid, yoooooooooooou stupid, you stupid" in a sing song voice...
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Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 2:35 pm Post subject: re: You Stupid

Maybe try and tun it into another word? he says you stupid, you say your silly. I think you should start to be a bit more proactive about it as ignoring it hasn't worked.

Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 2:36 pm Post subject:

how long can this go on u know he doesnt mean anything when he says it so itll stop, dont u think making into no no word will make him realise its not a nice word then he will use it on that context do u want that?

good luck enjoying your toddler Smile

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Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 2:42 pm Post subject:

Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: re: You Stupid

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7672

Is he getting a reaction out of anyone else for it? Uriel maybe? It's pretty unusual to get stuck on something to that extent without some kind of reinforcer.

Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 2:48 pm Post subject: Re: re: You Stupid

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7672

Well, I don't know if that's enough of a reinforcer to keep him going. If you think it might be, you can bribe Uriel with a privilege every time he does NOT respond. These phases wear off eventually, but they are annoying. Toddlers are just joyful Very Happy

Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 2:57 pm Post subject: Re: re: You Stupid

Diamond Member Joined: Aug 03 2007 Posts: 4448

Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 3:15 pm Post subject:

Posted: Thu, Sep 22 2011, 3:19 pm Post subject:

I would also change the word. next time he says it to you, tell him 'you're gorgeous'. he'll call you stupid again, but you just call him gorgeous again.
after about 4-5 times of the stupid-gorgeous routine, if he's still saying it then you can tell him simply and without emotion 'we don't talk like that.'

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2009 Posts: 3162

Yes it works. SOmetimes I say to my son, You are yummy, and he says back, No you are yummy, and goes on about how yummy I am: He thinks I am calling him names. Maybe try to introduce some other ord he could pick up?

Silver Member Joined: Jun 21 2011 Posts: 742

I think the above ideas are great (espcially with an easy word like 'cute' or 'yum') and Im no expert so I won't add anything. Just wanted to say that I couldn't help but smile when I read your post and imagined him . Yum!