I have a very verbal, articulate 4 year-old son (he's our oldest). I have recently noticed that, after spending a large amount of time with older cousins, he has begun the dreaded use of the word like in sentences as a verbal "filler." My wife and I are very careful to not do this ourselves, so as to model thoughtful, purposeful speech to him. But alas, it seems the influence of older kids has won out!
So my question is this: are there ways my wife and I can intentionally train our son away from this verbal habit, or should I chalk this up to a lost cause? He starts preschool in the fall, so depending on the verbal habits of the other kids in his class, it very well may be the latter. I don't know if addressing in the home it at every use would be effective or could possibly cause a complex, which I'm obviously very eager to avoid.
I would especially appreciate advice from parents of older children on how (or if?) they've tried addressing this head-on.