Here is Liz Atwood with Tween &*%& Tuesday:  

There was a time when my son refused to play with any child who used a four-letter word. That, however, was before middle school, where it seems like cussing is cool. Soon he not only was using profane words, but teaching them to his younger brother. And ever since I’ve been waging a war against four-letter words.

I try hard to watch my own mouth, and on those occasions when I slip, my kids are quick to point out the error of my ways. For the most part, they do not curse when I’m around, but they let the words fly to each other if they think I’m not listening. This includes not only the old-standbys, but the more recent and ubiquitous use of the word gay for everything the tween deems inferior.

I know many parents are waging this battle. We’ve explained that the words make people uncomfortable, show bad manners and a lack of imagination to say something smarter when one is upset. I’ve tried the usual punishments, too, including the old-fashioned soap treatment, which was no more effective than the kinder, gentler lectures.

I’ve been searching the Internet for advice. Some experts recommend ignoring profanity on the theory that kids use the words because they are powerful and generate a response. Others advise parents to use reason and logic, pointing out to the kids that they may lose friends if they don’t stop talking like a sailor. These approaches seem fine for younger children, but I’m not sure they work so well with the tween, who is accustomed to hearing profanity in movies, on TV, in school, and yes, at home. Tweens are going to hear bad words and know what they mean. The question is how to keep them from repeating them.

Have you found a way to clean up the gutter mouth?