How can my friend get her 2 1/2 yr old to stop saying "Shut up"?

Ignore it!! Just go on as if she never said it at the time it happens. She does it for the shocked reacion she gets to it. It gets her attention and every child will continue doing something that gets attention good or bad.

Just tell her to ignore it and go on as if she never said it. It is fine for her to mention casually if she hears someone else say it that it is NOT a good thing to say.

Also alert daddy to watch what he says from now on.

Shes 2 and ahalf and learned it from her father (no offense). The only way you are going to get her to stop is by making sure daddy and mommy dont use it (even when shes not right there she still can hear it). You can have her father talk to her and tell her how daddy was wrong to say shut up, then all of you could talk and decide on something more appropirate (be quiet) Its not going to happen over night, be consistant and when she behaves properly let her know it by telling her "i am so happy with you for..." The more reaction she gets by saying it the more she will use it and thinks its funny. Don't react, if she says it, just calmly say "no, we dont say that" or "please say be quiet" Try to avoid long demands as her attention span is small and she wont listen if the demands are to much

good luck

well does she actually punish her for it? if not then of course its going to continue. ignoring wont do anything, a kid wont stop saying a word just because you dont yell at them when they say it and talking at her wont do anything, why should she stop if she knows that all thats going to happen is shell get a little talk. shes 2.5, thats plenty old for an actual punishment. what shes doing is extremely disrespectful, as soon as she says shut up to her mom, tell her to look her straight in the eye and say in a slightly raised serious voice "you will not say that to me, its rude" and then put her in the corner for five minutes. when i was little, my brother got soap in his mouth one time for bad language and none of us have cursed or said shut up to an adult since, but thats up to you, some parents dont like the soap in the mouth technique.

When I was a kid, it would have been soap in the mouth or a smack. This generation of kids get the naughty corner time outs and maybe even a toy or privilige confiscated. I guess both can work quite well, and while the first method would achieve fewer repeat offenders faster, the second one won't get you into trouble for child abuse. Good luck.

It would undoubtedly ease the problem if "shut up" was not THE most attention-getting thing she knows how to do. It fascinates every adult in the room -- what toddler wouldn't keep on with it? Mom gets SO excited! Let's try it again...

Just step down the response. If Mom is bored by it or doesn't notice, it will lose its lustre rather quickly.

I agree discipline is the answer, just a time out or the corner should help.

well when my mom heard me say shut up when i was younger they would tell that they were going to put hot sauce in my mouth and it scared me so i stopped saying it.

I would resort to either soap in the mouth or time out every time she says it.

discipline. naughty step/corner :)