We usually blame “that one kid” at school for teaching our children bad words, and according to a new Mott Poll, we are mostly right.
Parents report different reasons for children swearing: out of habit (41%), to fit in with other kids (37%), to be funny (36%), or to get attention (21%), or because “it’s just the way kids talk these days” (27%).
— Mott Poll (@csmottpoll) January 19, 2026
Latest Mott Poll report: https://t.co/HuburxvMNE pic.twitter.com/KUWEPnOInb
The study found that 65% of parents believe their kids learn swear words from friends and classmates. But before we get too high-and-mighty, the report also holds up a mirror: 45% of parents admitted that they are the ones introducing those words to their children!
The study also highlighted a major shift in how we discipline “potty mouths.” Gone are the days of washing mouths out with soap...in fact, less than half of parents (47%) say swearing is “never okay.” A solid chunk of us (35%) now believe it just “depends on the situation”. Basically, if you stub your toe, or Trevor Lawrence throws a last second interception to lose a playoff game, a little slip-up is understandable, right?
Ultimately, kids are sponges. Whether they hear it from a YouTuber (58% of parents blame media), a classmate, or their own dad during a football game, they are going to take those words out on a test drive at some point. The goal now seems to be teaching them “time and place” rather than expecting them to never hear a bad word in their lives.
