• Posted January 20, 2026

U.S. Parents More Relaxed About Their Kids Using Swear Words, Poll Finds

Who says the president of the United States isn’t a role model?

Most U.S. parents these days are inclined to shrug off their child dropping the f-bomb, as President Donald Trump did last week at a Ford plant in Michigan in response to heckling from a worker.

Fewer than half of parents (47%) think it’s never OK for a child to use swear words, according to new results from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

The results reveal parents are becoming more relaxed about kids with potty mouths, researchers said.

“Parents are navigating a gray area when it comes to language,” Mott Poll Co-Director Sarah Clark said in a news release. “Many don’t love hearing these words, but they also recognize that context, age and intent matter.”

About 35% of parents said it might be OK for their kid to curse depending on the situation; 12% think it depends on the word; and 6% say swear words are no big deal at all, the poll found.

Parents of teens were more likely to say it depends on the situation while parents of younger children and tweens said it’s never OK.

During the Jan. 13 presidential encounter, Trump gave the middle finger and mouthed the f-word to a Dearborn auto worker who appeared to yell “pedophile protector.”

The White House later defended the action as an “appropriate” response.

“A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement.

Poll results from parents reveal that, in practice, about a quarter (24%) of children swear occasionally or frequently. Another 32% of parents said their child rarely curses, and 44% said their child never swears.

Why do kids swear? About 1 in 3 parents believe their child swears to fit in with others, particularly teens.

Meanwhile, parents of younger children more often attributed it to trying to be funny or get attention.

“Swearing can be a form of social currency for kids,” Clark said. “For some, it’s about belonging. For others, it’s about getting a reaction. Understanding the ‘why’ can help parents respond more effectively.”

Most parents (58%) do believe that parents are responsible for their children’s swearing, the poll found.

Parents described their typical responses to swearing as telling the kid to stop (41%); explaining why they don’t like it (38%); or ignoring it (14%).

Only 6% of respondents said cursing earns their child a punishment such as chores or grounding.

Parents of teens were more likely than parents of younger children to ignore swearing, 21% versus 8%.

“It can be challenging for parents to maintain a consistent approach to swearing,” Clark said. “Parents should sort through their own attitudes to determine which words and situations will merit a response. Young children may not realize certain terms are inappropriate, so parents may need to explain meaning, context or social impact to build understanding and empathy.”

Kids most likely learn swear words from friends or classmates (65%) or popular media (58%), parents said. Other sources are parents themselves (45%) or other family members (44%).

To limit kids’ exposure, parents said they watch their own swearing (57%); restrict certain media (39%); ask others not to swear around their child (28%); or discourage friendships with kids who swear (20%).

“These findings show that swearing isn’t just a discipline issue,” Clark said. “It’s tied to peer relationships, family norms and how parents want to guide behavior without overreacting.”

Poll results are based on responses from 1,678 parents with at least one child between 6 and 17 years of age. The survey took place in August, and the margin of error is plus or minus 1 to 4 percentage points.

More information

Nationwide Children’s Hospital has more on what to do when your child swears.

SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release, Jan. 19, 2026