A month is a long time to be away and it's normal for your son to have some adjustment hiccups along the way back into your regular routine. Try to bring a sense of humor to your interactions with your son to rebuild your connection with him.

Children often repeat things to their parents that they heard somewhere else but haven't fully digested. He's too young to say, "I heard a lot of talk I wasn't used to while I was away and I wasn't sure exactly how to take it all in. Can you help me with it?" So, instead, out pop the words or things he heard but couldn't quite take in, things he may have been wondering about, things that didn't feel right or just plain made no sense to him. He's showing you what he heard that he needs help with and looking to you to help him process this new information.

Seven is also an age when many children go through a stage where they love to use body words and potty words to shock people, and to laugh and laugh. This is normal. It happens all over the world. There's an article on our website on how to help you all get through this with your sanity. ;-) I'll attach a link to it here.

One of the things you might want to do with this behavior, instead of coming down hard on the little guy, is to find a time when you're in a good, warm, playful mood and let it roll. Wait for him to say one of the words he's brought home with him and then fall all over yourself and him in mock shock and horror that your darling baby would ever say such a thing. 'Faint' right over on him with a playful sigh. Get him laughing and saying the word over and over again to let it out and to make you fall over and love on him again and again. Show him that no matter what he heard or what new things got into his system while he was away that he's still your much loved son and you're still there ready to connect with him and 'hear' what he has to share.

This might take some real effort on your part if his language is especially annoying or distressing to you. Parenting can be a very stressful job! Do you have a friend who can just listen while you talk through how these words make you feel? Not offer any advice or tell you stories about their own language adventures, but just be there to really hear what you have to say? Do you find yourself imagining what would have happened if you had said these things where your mother could hear them?

Lots more suggestions are on our website. You may especially want to take a look at the information on Special Time which can help reduce stress for both of you and work out kinks like this one that happen in every parent-child relationship. Try the second link below if you want to read more.

Good luck!
We'd love to hear how it goes at your house.

Juli Idleman
Hand in Hand Parenting
www.handinhandparenting.org