# Hot Sauce in child's mouth as a punishment??!



## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

I have a friend who's parents would out Tabasco sauce in her mouth whenever she talked back or said something they didn't like, starting at around age 3 (she's not totally sure).









That is child abuse, right?? Has anyone ever heard of this before??


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## abarnes (Jun 6, 2009)

100% child abuse!

If someone reported her to DFCS (or whatever it is in the area), they would investigate and they would very likely have their kids taken away, even if temporarily.


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## averlee (Apr 10, 2009)

I have heard of this. I do believe it is child abuse, but I'm afraid my beliefs are in the minority. Where I grew up in Texas, they were still paddling school kids, when my nieces were in high school 10 years ago. In some places, abuse is defined as physical punishment that leaves marks.
I, personally, believe it is wrong to inflict pain, and I believe it is abusive to intentionally inflict pain on a child. Sadly, I don't think the world agrees with me.


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## cotopaxi (Sep 17, 2007)

..................................................


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## Swan3 (Aug 5, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cotopaxi* 
I have heard of this before. Someone I knew casually online does it, and the reaction from the rest of the group was "oh good idea; sounds better than soap." SIGH.

Brutal, on one of the mainstream board several applauded giving black pepper to a 20 month old as punishment for hitting.


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## Joyster (Oct 26, 2007)

Yep, heard of it, it was pretty popular where I grew up, but then again, so was winging a shoe at a saucy kid.







:


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## Apple Girl (Nov 2, 2007)

Heard of it, I think it's horribly cruel. Nevermind the fact that food should not be used as a punishment, it's just wrong to inflict pain on your children on purpose.


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## claddaghmom (May 30, 2008)

hmm I can't believe it works...my siblings love hot sauce/spicy food.

Just being lighthearted b/c it really creeps me to think parents can do this and still sleep at night... weird.


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## 1littlebit (Jun 1, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Swan3* 
Brutal, on one of the mainstream board several applauded giving black pepper to a 20 month old as punishment for hitting.









this doesnt even make sense. i mean at least i can see the (faulty) logic behind soap and pepper or w/e for talking back.

every time i come across this i tell them that nanny 911 is very against that. for some reason that has more of an effect then telling them i think their parenting methods are cruel.







go figure


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## 1littlebit (Jun 1, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Apple Girl* 
Heard of it, I think it's horribly cruel. Nevermind the fact that food should not be used as a punishment, it's just wrong to inflict pain on your children on purpose.









: way to give your kid freaky food issues.


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## Just Elsa (May 18, 2009)

It is abusive and cruel. It is also 100% legal and widely accepted as a good parenting technique. Some people even argue that it's somehow better than spanking.


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## Krisis (May 29, 2008)

DH's parents did it to him and his siblings. It backfired with his one sister because she loved spicy spicy hot so she'd be naughty just to get some cayenne pepper on her tongue...

It drives me nuts that they did this because now DH is very wary regarding spicy food, and I love to cook spicy things! Um, not to mention how awful it is to use food as a punishment. Argh.


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## abarnes (Jun 6, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Just Elsa* 
It is abusive and cruel. It is also 100% legal and widely accepted as a good parenting technique. Some people even argue that it's somehow better than spanking.

When we did our foster parenting in Jacksonville, FL, it was made clear to us that this was not acceptable. However, spanking IS legal as long as it is done with a hand and an object isn't used. (it's not ok to spank a foster child though, just to make that clear)


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I once had someone advise me to do that with toddlers when they say "no". So...yeah - I've heard of it.


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## Ellen Griswold (Feb 27, 2008)

Was done at an in-home day care where I worked to a 5 year old for picking his nose. Umm, I don't work there any more. Wonder why.


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
DH's parents did it to him and his siblings. It backfired with his one sister because she loved spicy spicy hot so she'd be naughty just to get some cayenne pepper on her tongue...


i know someone who tried it to stop her 3yo from sucking her thumb.... she liked it so much she started sucking it off and asking for more


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## 2lilsweetfoxes (Apr 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Krisis* 
DH's parents did it to him and his siblings. It backfired with his one sister because she loved spicy spicy hot so she'd be naughty just to get some cayenne pepper on her tongue...

It drives me nuts that they did this because now DH is very wary regarding spicy food, and I love to cook spicy things! Um, not to mention how awful it is to use food as a punishment. Argh.

I love spicy foods and so does DH. So, I also cook a lot of spicy things. And ditto--food should not be used as punishment.


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## benj (Jun 4, 2009)

i would never do it, but my parents did it to get me to stop sucking on my fingers.


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## mamatoablessing (Oct 17, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Just Elsa* 
It is abusive and cruel. It is also 100% legal and widely accepted as a good parenting technique. Some people even argue that it's somehow better than spanking.

I tend to agree with this. There is one mom on my street who does tobasco and/or soap, depending on the offense. I remember getting my mouth washed out with soap when I was maybe 5 or 6 for tattling.

BTW, we're in Jax too.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *benj* 
i would never do it, but my parents did it to get me to stop sucking on my fingers.









I personally wouldn't do it, but I can see someone attempting it as a remedy for thumb/finger sucking or nail biting _far_ more than I can see it for using words.


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## benj (Jun 4, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Storm Bride* 
I personally wouldn't do it, but I can see someone attempting it as a remedy for thumb/finger sucking or nail biting _far_ more than I can see it for using words.









i don't know if they actually put it on my fingers or just pretended to. i was too scared to check!


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## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

This upsets me so much whenever I hear of it. I am SO sensitive to spicy foods even Taco Bell burns my mouth. If this had been done to me I can't imagine


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *benj* 
i don't know if they actually put it on my fingers or just pretended to. i was too scared to check!

I probably would have been, too. I _hated_ hot foods most of my life, and the idea of getting straight hot sauce in my mouth would have probably been traumatizing all by itself.


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

Food as a punishment scares me, as does choosing to inflict pain on a child... but it's pretty widely accepted as 'good parenting' around here.

That said, I suspect it would backfire with my youngest (almost 11 months). I had some creole tomato soup today that I found spicy- and I LOVE spicy- and after he insisted on tasting it, he demanded more. He also likes really spicy curry, and Schezuan foods. I stopped worrying about it a few weeks ago, as I've realized that his 'child led weaning' involves eating anything I wouldn't think to offer him....


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## kiara7 (Feb 14, 2008)

I've heard of this too. It seems to be pretty universal along with soap, unfortunately. Now, I went to school oversees and one boy's dad used to make him stand on his knees in salt as punishment. I can't even imagine.


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## onlyzombiecat (Aug 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dubfam* 
I have a friend who's parents would out Tabasco sauce in her mouth whenever she talked back or said something they didn't like, starting at around age 3 (she's not totally sure).









That is child abuse, right?? Has anyone ever heard of this before??









I've heard of it.
I think it goes along the lines of washing a child's mouth out with soap if they swear.

I don't understand the thinking behind it. It won't cause your child to respect you on the inside. You might get surface obedience while you are within ear shot but that's it.
What happens if the child doesn't hate hot sauce? Lots of people like it and put it in their mouths on purpose.


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## Adsullata (Dec 22, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *onlyzombiecat* 
I've heard of it.
I think it goes along the lines of washing a child's mouth out with soap if they swear.

I don't understand the thinking behind it. *It won't cause your child to respect you on the inside. You might get surface obedience while you are within ear shot but that's it.*
What happens if the child doesn't hate hot sauce? Lots of people like it and put it in their mouths on purpose.









Bolding mine. I had my mouth washed out with soap for swearing when I was about 7 or 8. It was awful and I learned never to swear again...around my parents.







Didn't stop me anywhere else and I didn't learn any useful life skills from the incident. An explanation of appropriate vocabulary would've been more helpful.

I imagine hot sauce is a similar experience for the children upon whom it is inflicted. I like spicy stuff now, but as a kid the hot sauce would've been worse than the soap. I can't imagine doing that to a child.







: How do you look your kids in the eye after that?


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## Aquafina (Oct 2, 2006)

Hot sauce is so mean to punish a child with







....How could someone do that? This is child abuse.I am sure its even more painful for a toddler/child then a adult and that stuff is pretty darn hot for me







:

Soap is a little weird also I have never understood why people did that?


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## benj (Jun 4, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Aquafina* 
Soap is a little weird also I have never understood why people did that?

quite literally, washing the mouth out of naughty words.


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

Lisa Whelchel reccomends hot saucing in her book Creative Correction calling it"spanking her kids tongues.














:
It is absoultly abuse it can cause swlling of the throat buring of the membranes it can cause allegeric reactions in young kids vomiting nausea. Honestly I'd rather the parents give there bum a swat that risk the tobbaco (assuming I HAD to choose







).
Even the makers of thre tobasco brand sauce have spoken agains t this practice....
Now saying all that my DD will drink a botle straight if you let her









Deanna


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## purplemoon (Sep 24, 2008)

I can see it totally backfiring. I LOVE spicy food and so do my kids. So it would be a reward, and also, for those it isn't, it is cruel.

Bad idea all around.


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## Seie (Jun 9, 2005)

Abuse!
My parents are very UNabusive - but I very very clearly remember one single incident when I was a kid when my dad was way out of line. I stuck my tounge out at him and he warned me if I did it again he would put mustard on it. So I did - and so he did. It is one of my earliest childhood memories and its probably one of my worst too. My dad used to give me and my brother a slap in the butt if we were fighting to get us to stop - it never ever hurt - it was more symbolic than anything else - and honestly I never thought that was wrong or out of line at all at the time - today I believe all hitting is wrong, but really it was no big deal. But the mustad incident still sticks out as very scary and really horrible. I think I was around 3 years old.

ETA: My parents were always very loving and supportive and I had a very safe and happy childhood - just to make the point that the incidents mentioned were more like the exception to the rule..


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## angie7 (Apr 23, 2007)

I don't know anyone IRL like this but I was watching a show not long ago and they were interviewing the blonde from "Facts of Life" and she said that is how she disciplines her children! I was shocked that anyone would actually admit to doing this on national TV!


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## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

Heard of it. Had it done to me when I was a child often. I was even tied and held down on the bed to have the hot sauce poured into my mouth and all over my face as 'punishment' - because I can tell you, there is no way in hell any child would sit still for that kind of 'punishment'. Yep - it is child abuse.


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## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

Yeah, DSD's mom does it to her.







When she's here the least spicy food we cook sends her into a panic.







Apparently, it's "officially"







a perfectly "acceptable" thing to do to a child.


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## KristaDJ (May 30, 2009)

I saw it done on supernanny a few years back but they were using cayenne pepper.







Just FYI the supernanny told them to stop doing it, the parents had been doing it on their own when the children talked back.
I think it's abusive but most people wouldn't since they see children as evil by nature and believe that we should do whatever we can to control them.


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

Unfortunately, I have heard of hot sauce in the mouth as punishment. Also raw onions, soap and pepper.

I can't imagine why a parent or care giver would do this. It makes me so sad/sick to think about how the child must fear what is about to happen to them. It is sick, just sick to toture a person this way.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *benj* 
i would never do it, but my parents did it to get me to stop sucking on my fingers.










It got put on my fingernails to keep me from biting them (it didn't work)...side note: they also tried that polish that tastes like earwax.

MIL did this with DH for swearing and it worked...

with BIL1 (middle child) he liked the hot sauce so she used soap...

with BIL2 he liked the hot sauce so she used soap...and then he ate the soap so she spanked him...


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## woodsymommyof3 (Mar 25, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *octobermom* 
Lisa Whelchel reccomends hot saucing in her book Creative Correction calling it"spanking her kids tongues.














:
It is absoultly abuse it can cause swlling of the throat buring of the membranes it can cause allegeric reactions in young kids vomiting nausea. Honestly I'd rather the parents give there bum a swat that risk the tobbaco (assuming I HAD to choose







).
Even the makers of thre tobasco brand sauce have spoken agains t this practice....
Now saying all that my DD will drink a botle straight if you let her









Deanna









: Once I heard about her nuttiness, I lost all respect for her.

When I was little, I know my parents put something on my thumbs to stop me from sucking them, but I cannot remember what it was. There is no way I could ever do something like that to my own kids.


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## Snuzzmom (Feb 6, 2008)

Horrible, cruel and abusive.


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## Agatha_Ann (Apr 5, 2009)

I just remembered I had a friend who use to make her kids bite a vinegar soaked rag when they would bite each other







: This was a suggestion from their daycare director


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## ~savah~ (Aug 24, 2008)

My sister did this to my nephew. She would carry around little packets of hot sauce and whenever nephew would swear she would put it in his mouth. She eventually stopped because it did not work. He would cry for awhile, but he still swears all the time.

It is interesting though because recently I was talking to her about DD and how I would only use GD because it doesn't make sense to teach a child not to hit by hitting them, she agreed and said she was rethinking all of her discipline tactics.


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## 2goingon2 (Feb 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *benj* 
i would never do it, but my parents did it to get me to stop sucking on my fingers.









Mine too, only I think it was actually something made specifically for thumb/finger-suckers. I remember it very well and remember how it burned and tasted bad. I was 5 and couldn't understand because sucking my thumb was a good thing in my world. My 4 month old sucks his thumb and my mother said "well, guess you can put that stuff on his thumb when you're ready for him to quit"!!! I said uh...no.


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## julesdsm (Aug 18, 2008)

My parents put hot sauce on my four year old sister's thumb to get her to stop sucking it, she just licked it all off and it made no difference.

Now my dad just licks her thumb when he sees it her mouth and she is gets sooo grossed out by it, she won't do anything with it until she can get to a sink and wash it off, with soap!


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
...side note: they also tried that polish that tastes like earwax.

We used that when I was a kid...but I was onboard with it. I just couldn't break the nail-biting habit, and the Stop'n'Grow helped a lot. (I'm actually using it again, as I revert to nail biting when I'm under stress. My hands are a mess right now.)


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Agatha_Ann* 
I just remembered I had a friend who use to make her kids bite a vinegar soaked rag when they would bite each other







: This was a suggestion from their daycare director

That wouldn't have worked on me at all. When I was little, I used to drink packets of vinegar.


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## THBVsMommy (Mar 13, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *averlee* 
I have heard of this. I do believe it is child abuse, but I'm afraid my beliefs are in the minority. Where I grew up in Texas, they were still paddling school kids, when my nieces were in high school 10 years ago. In some places, abuse is defined as physical punishment that leaves marks.
I, personally, believe it is wrong to inflict pain, and I believe it is abusive to intentionally inflict pain on a child. Sadly, I don't think the world agrees with me.









:

I live in Texas, too, and I am in the extreme minority with my parenting.

However, if someone tried to use that on my son, it would backfire because he LOVES all things spicy. He would eat salsa by the spoonful if I would let him.


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## riverscout (Dec 22, 2006)

A neighbor of my close friend used vinegar on her then 3 year old daughter's tongue because she was sticking it out at people. I was horrified when I learned this, but it seems tame in comparison to hot sauce.

Funny thing is, this woman seems really cool otherwise. She is very gentle and patient with her daughter...doesn't do CIO or any sleep training, let her lead the way with PLing, is very affectionate and kind, etc, etc, etc. It seems so weird to me that she would have done this.


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## BetsyS (Nov 8, 2004)

I've heard of lots of people doing this, but it amazes me that it works. We put hot sauce in baby food.


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *woodsymommyof3* 







: Once I heard about her nuttiness, I lost all respect for her.

When I was little, I know my parents put something on my thumbs to stop me from sucking them, but I cannot remember what it was. There is no way I could ever do something like that to my own kids.









I remember that stuff. Tastes really bitter. Wasn't it called "Don't" ?


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## boringscreenname (Sep 26, 2007)

I baby-sat for a family who did this to their children whenever they said a "bad" word. And they encouraged me to do the same. They also encouraged me to spank their children with belts. Needless to say I didn't baby-sit for them again.


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## savvybabygrace (Feb 15, 2007)

Horrifying that people do this. I know a few.


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## boringscreenname (Sep 26, 2007)

Forgot to mention in my previous post. One of my ex's friends would punish his step daughter for lying by keeping track of all the lies she told that day and then making her drink a shot of apple cider vinegar for each lie she had told.


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## Cinder (Feb 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dubfam* 
I have a friend who's parents would out Tabasco sauce in her mouth whenever she talked back or said something they didn't like, starting at around age 3 (she's not totally sure).









That is child abuse, right?? Has anyone ever heard of this before??










I babysat for kids who had to hold listerine in their mouths for 10 seconds for each year old they were as the main form of punishment. Strangely enough, those kids never did anything wrong when I watched them...at least as far as their mom knew...

Seriously, at 12 I knew this was wrong...

That said, there are pictures of me drinking tabasco sauce before I'm 2 years old...I guess my dad ate it on everything (I haven't seen him since I was 2...so this is all going from what has been told to me) and so I did too, and if they didn't put it high enough in the fridge, I'd just drink it. I still like spicy foods now, but I hate tabasco sauce!


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## One_Girl (Feb 8, 2008)

I have heard of this, but I thought it was a recent thing. I think it is abusive but I am not sure if there are state's that also consider it abuse.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boringscreenname* 
Forgot to mention in my previous post. One of my ex's friends would punish his step daughter for lying by keeping track of all the lies she told that day and then making her drink a shot of apple cider vinegar for each lie she had told.

pretty sure that's bad on your stomach...


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## journeymom (Apr 2, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Agatha_Ann* 
I just remembered I had a friend who use to make her kids bite a vinegar soaked rag when they would bite each other







: This was a suggestion from their daycare director

While I don't believe in 'punishing' this way at all, this seems pretty mild.

But, seriously, how often were these kids biting each other??

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sweetdaughter* 
My sister did this to my nephew. She would carry around little packets of hot sauce and *whenever nephew would swear* she would put it in his mouth. She eventually stopped because it did not work. He would cry for awhile, but he still swears all the time.

It is interesting though because recently I was talking to her about DD and how I would only use GD because it doesn't make sense to teach a child not to hit by hitting them, she agreed and said she was rethinking all of her discipline tactics.

Dang! How much does he swear?? I mean, for pity's sake, she needs to carry packets around like packets of tissue??


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## Dahlea (May 15, 2008)

I think it's totally wrong. Tabasco is nasty, and I love hot stuff. I would never, ever use it as a punishment (or any other hot sauce!)


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## Dazedstella (Dec 21, 2008)

nak

my friend's daughter was a super defiant 2 year old (who isn't...) and would open the fridge all the time and grab stuff even when being told not too, anyway one time she grabbed the hot sauce and took the cap off- we were in the living room but could see her- my friend kept telling her not to put it in her mouth, that it would hurt, while getting up and heading into the kitchen, but with the little naughty smirk into the mouth it went just before her mom could get to her... she was not happy (lots of tears and a big nursing session followed) but she stopped grabbing stuff out of the fridge. That story bothers me less though because it was a bit more natural consequences than doing it on purpose to your kid though.
i can't imagine hurting your kid intentionally though, ever.


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## nerdymom (Mar 20, 2008)

wow that is mean! on one level, it's child abuse. on another level, tabasco tastes like sweaty feet, geez. i dont allow that stuff in the house anymore. there are other brands that are cheaper yet somehow taste better.

Dazedstella - I'm curious, that circumstance is natural consequences, correct? so that would be a GD thing, right? Mom said "no that will hurt you" and was coming to take it away, but she ate it before mom could get there. it hurt her but mom didn't "allow" it she was coming to stop it, so is this GD? We try to keep our kids from harming themselves, but sometimes they get hurt as a result of their actions, we comfort them and explain why that happened, it's a learning experience. (i am not from GD background and I am trying to learn).


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## nikkiethridge (May 6, 2008)

When I was a child, That is how my daycare punished for foul language. They called my mom first and she told them 'no' and then came to pick me up. So yeah, have heard of it.


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## siobhang (Oct 23, 2005)

insane.

and ineffective around here. My 5 yr old regularly eats spicy colman's mustard from the jar with a spoon. He'd laugh at Tabasco.

the story about the little girl and the fridge reminded me of a time my brother was visiting and he was poking around my kitchen, more to annoy me than anything else. he grabbed some cans and jars from the shelves and would open stuff to see what was inside and smell it.

He opened a jar of Bovril (my dh is from the UK) which is meat extract (more info), which (IMO) smells naaaaaaaassssssssssttttttttttyyyyyyy.

he took one whiff and closed it up and left the kitchen pronto... natural consequence?


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## guestmama9972 (Jun 5, 2003)

I just saw this thread and, while I haven't read all the posts, I certainly have some comments.

I have heard this touted by Lisa Welchel, of Facts of Life fame. Insane.

Hot sauce is cruel. Absolutely cruel. I can't imagine doing this to my kids. They'd be frantic, screaming, washing their mouths out. Maybe that is the point, but I can't believe that a parent would be that mean.

As an aside, my 5yo recently started saying "butt" as often as she could. We don't think that word is bad but when she picked up on it and started saying it, so did DH and I. We worked "butt" into every conversation we could. DD decided that it was no longer fun and has dropped the word from her vocabulary.

I can't wait until dds bring home some whoppers from school and we do the same thing. Bad words are powerful words, but not if you take the power away.


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