Potty Talk and Stinky Gas from My 8 Yr Old!!

I wrote on here before about kids saying the 'bad' words and laughing and I just say to them " do you laugh when we say 'elbow' or 'knee' or other body parts?" They usually get the idea. I tell them they are body parts and we don't laugh about other body parts and yes, I would say they are not to say those words at all to be laughed at as a 'joke' but they call them the correct name if they have an issue with that part of the body.

My son's are 13 and 9 and my oldest has grown out of that talk and youngest will say those words sometimes and i try to tell him that he is not to say those words in public. It's not polite to talk like that.

With the gas it may be something in his diet that is causing that. Probiotics are a great idea. You might watch his milk intake and see if that has anything to do with it. I know sometimes my stumic get's gassy when I have too much milk products.

Good luck and God Bless!

Get some beano and keep it on you, or send some to the school nurse to keep for him! And wiener and balls? typical 8 year old talk lol..

Try Bean-O on the foods that give him gas. Probiotics are never a bad thing to give.
As for the talk....really? You didn't do that when you were his age? I know very few his age who DON'T talk potty talk. If it really bothers you, talk to him about using it around you because it does bother you. In the privacy of his room, under his breath, on the way home from school, at school, anywhere you aren't around it's open season. But explain the idea of consideration for others. Wouldn't hurt to throw in there about the graduation from potty humor to sexual humor. You need to keep an open mind about this tho. If you go to attack it just doesn't help. Tell him your feelings about potty or sexual humor talk. And why. And if he's so embarassed about smelling gassy, compare it to having to hear about it.

Hi Nickie,

He may also need digestive enzymes. when our gi track does not break down foods properly... stinky gas develops. they have papaya mint enzymes he can take after meals. they even suggest you can take them as breathmints. I give it to my kids. if he's not too keen on the mint flavor, they have just plain papaya enzymes.
keep track of what he is eating to figure out what's giving him the stinky gas. hang in there. ~C.~

Oh my goodness how funny those words are to a kid! He will grow out of it but just make it clear that you don't want to hear it and he has to be respectful of others as well. As for the gas? Poor kid! As far as doing the right thing by sending him to school I can't imagine keeping him home considering how often gas happens! That said, good for you for trying out the probiotics. You might also keep a food diary to see if you can find a connection between a certain food and the gas since it's not a daily thing? I remember in high school my stomach making horrendous noises and being so embarrassed and it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized it was the artificial sweetener in chewing gum (I always always had chewing gum in high school!) I can't do any "diet", sugar-free foods and such since it causes my tummy to blow up and gurgle like mad!

As far as the potty talk, we explained to our kids that they need to use the proper words for them, and that references to their body parts, or jokes had to be done at the appropriate times. For example, the dinner table is not the place to comment. Consequences are simple, yet direct.... loss of a toy, or game. They catch on pretty quick to what is and is not OK.

You mentioned the gas isn't a daily problem, so I'm guessing its just the result of a certain food or drink. Probiotics are a good start, although he may not need something that helps with everyday. If you can pinpoint the food, a tums before dinner that night should help stop it before it starts.

All kids think potty talk is funny that is normal. They will grow out of it and if it bothers you then tell him you do not like it and it is inappropriate.

As for the gas, give the probiotics a few days to start working and make sure he takes them every day. My daughter (now 5) has always has stinky gas (she eats a lot of veggies I think that’s why) and the probiotics have helped so much. Does your son get constipated easily? That too can cause a lot of gas. I would also keep track of what he is eating once a week that could be causing the gas as well.

Typical talk for kids...I would set some limits around this, though. Do you want him to mention these things at school or at the dinner table, etc? Then come up with some firm guidelines (fine with your friends, in your room, etc.) and then some reasonable consequences. This is about respecting the environment they are in. School? Not appropriate? Home, playing with a friend? Fine.

When it happens, don't overreact, just make it clear what the consequence is. If it were me, I'd likely take away one tv show per bodily reference made in an inappropriate place.So, if he's trying to 'impress' grandma, then he loses an hour of tv. I think it's reasonable at this age to let them know some things are for at-home family only. My almost-five year old understands this.

With the gas, I wonder as someone else asked, if there's a specific food causing it. Hard boiled eggs are often a culprit. Beans, mushrooms, onions and garlic, some dairy or soy... they can all do it. Probiotics are beneficial in any case. Also, if you do find the offending food, if he can swallow a pill whole, I'd try offering him one charcoal capsule. It traps/absorbs gas. (His poop will be black a day or so later--don't be alarmed.) Certain foods contain certain kinds of sugars which cause gas for some of us.

Good luck!

When I worked in a preschool, the kids were only allowed to use potty talk in the bathroom. You might try that.

Keep a food log to figure out what is causing the gas and remove it from his diet for a few weeks to see if that's the problem.