Teaching Moments

I typically consider myself to have pretty concrete parenting skills. But the fact is, I'm looking for advice with this post. So, for all you moms and dads with kids older than mine... help!

Issue #1... Cleaning up the Potty Mouth
We've hit the milestone with the kids, where they are repeating ev-er-y-thing we say. Seriously. Some of the cute things are when Cade exclaims with excitement, "oh man!!," "oh yeah!," "for real?," or "really?" But then he adopted some of (his father's) road rage as he was driving on the interstate with Nana, yelling, "damn semi!" Yep, he said it. And Nana did not know what to say! So, she kept driving, thinking that if she ignored it, he wouldn't catch on.

I thought, okay, not bad. He's five. And truthfully, there are a million other four-letter words that he could have said. And to be honest, on the side, Rhonda and I even giggled about it. But then there was Alayna reading books with Grandma one night this week. It was a Max and Ruby hide-and-seek book where she was to flip the flaps in search of one of the characters. As I was chatting it up with Papa in the next room, I hear her shouting, "frickin girl! where is that frickin girl!?!?!" Now, this time my ears perked. She's three and full of naughtiness, but I was not expecting that!

Issue #2... Explaining Appropriate Personal Touching
It doesn't matter where we are, what we're doing, or who we're with... the boy is touching, feeling, and playing with his thing-a-ma-jig ALL THE TIME!!! It's awful, as a mom. I've asked him quietly, ignored it (then it just happens for a longer period of time), slapped his hand away, given him the look, and frankly asked 'what's wrong?'.

And, there is a part of me telling him that it's okay to touch in private, but not when others can see him. Really!?! What am I saying?!?! He's five!! Dad has tried the conversations, and redirected him; Papa has noticed and abruptly tells him to stop. But it's like habit now! Some times I think it's just nerves. Ugh.
I guess it's not so bad that Alayna just bites her finger nails, after all.