Nothing in this mouth but toothpasteThe spanking vs. time-out debate is such a hot button topic, we tend to forget there's another discipline technique out there worth debating. Nasty tastes. Would you believe there are parents out there who won't spank their kids but think it's perfectly OK to dab some Tabasco on kiddo's tongue?
Heck, an article over at Nanny Net takes it even further than OK. The way they see it, dosing kids with something that tastes foul is a "better tactic than hitting your child."
Sorry folks, different body parts don't make this different, at all. You can hurt the tongue or hurt the tush, it's still all one big pile of hurt.
I'd say I hate to break it to you, but I really don't. I just hate that people are still fighting for the right to hurt their kids.
Let's get this straight: whether you're using lemon juice, femite, soap, or cider vinegar, you're still causing a child to feel discomfort. Sometimes it's significant, sometimes it's long lasting, but it's always uncomfortable, or you wouldn't be using it as a potential deterrent to begin with. Now what would you do if someone dosed your food with any of those tastes? Would you get angry? Would you feel hurt? Would you be upset?
So why would you want to do this to your child? I don't spank, frankly. And I don't discipline in order to make my daughter feel hurt or angry with me. I discipline because I know she needs to change a certain behavior.
I think the problem is nasty tastes don't leave the same physical scars on a child, and they're easier for a parent to do than spanking. That sounds better, right? No bruise means you "can't be hurting them" ... not really.
Scary to think this, but that may make this an even trickier road! The mom who can feel the sting of smacking her kid on the bottom gets a warning sign to stop! The dad who fears the mark on the butt will be construed as child abuse will back off. But a form of physical violence with no consequences for the adult? Now you're really asking for trouble with boundaries!
How about we just rule getting physical off limits and take it from there? Who's with me?
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Comments 64
I will put my children's behavior in a public setting against yours any day of the week.
My 2 year old behaves better than most 6 year olds I've met - whose parents don't spank. And my kids are not afraid of me, nor are they abused. We have a very loving relationship, but they know that if they do certain things, they're going to get a pop on the butt.
Seems to me, that people need to shut up and mind their own damn business unless there is actual abuse going on.
Takes different kinds to make the world go 'round, and some kids need harsher lessons than others.
My experience growing up is similar to fellyscarlet. Brother not spanked, I was. My brother has been in jail, stolen, has several illegitimate unsuported children, and can't keep his head out of his ass.
I got whooped, am an excellent mother, own a home, have an education, and am a contributing member of society.
Get over yourself. I'm not an abuser, and you're not a perfect mother. We all do the best we can, with what we have to work with. Try being understanding of your fellow women, and not such a judgemental cow.
"Try being understanding... Not such a judgemental cow".
Seriously? Who are you to say such mean things?? How hypocritical.
I don't think it's right for anyone to tell anyone else how they "must" or "must not" discipline their children. All parents and children are different and so is their relationship. What works in one home doesn't work in another. And we should NOT be legislating discipline methods for that reason.
If you believe spanking and yucky tasting things in the mouth are bad, then please don't do them. Please share your alternate discipline strategies and why they work so well for you. Extol the virtues of your method, so others can see there is a different way and decide if that will work for them. If not -- that is THEIR choice. Not yours.
I say this as a mother who has spanked her children, but is struggling to move towards a more positive, patient strategy. I have never and will never wash their mouths out -- it's not how I was raised and it doesn't appeal to me. But that doesn't mean I'm going to tell other parents that they absolutely can't do it.
I don't intend to use this form of punishment with my son - it just doesn't sit right with me. I intend to (and have thus far) employ gentle parenting methods wherever possible, consistant with the way I was raised.
That being said, I think the important thing here is the intention behind the action. Some people successfully use spanking as a means of teaching when it's used in very specific situations where the child is endangering him or herself; in those situations, it's not done out of anger/irritation/frustration but rather in a calm manner. Likewise, I think it's important to look at how the parents are feeling when they choose to use this method of parenting, and whether they're behaving impulsively or calmly and with thought.
Unfortunately, I see very little in these comments that points to people being open-minded about various child-rearing methods. While I don't intend to use either spanking or making my child eat/drink something foul as a punishment, I'm willing to listen to the rational of those who do before judging the action.