Washing mouth out with soap

[ahisma]

We do soap, but very sparingly. Maybe 3 - 5 times a year. We find that saving it for when things are really bad makes it more effective.

DD (7), doesn't swear...but I'm pretty strict about what is and is not appropriate language...she isn't allowed to say "hate"...stuff like that. Honestly, she doesn't have any desire to swear, she considers "ha-ha" to be a naughty word (no idea WHERE that came from).

She does know, and hear, swear words, just sees them as something for adults only. DH is a soccer coach, and the parents can have seriously foul mouths.

We use the soap for lying (a HUGE no-no in this house, I have no tolerance for it), and more often for sassy language - talking back. It works...makes an impression for 2-3 months.

Our experience maybe different though, she's one of those eager to please kids.

[bfoster2000]

My sister got her mouth washed out with soap once (apparently little girls can't say everything Daddies can say!) and just watching it was enough for me. I try to never say never but I don't really see myself doing that with my kids. DJ heard me tell his Daddy to "Shut up!" one day and decided that was a fun thing to say. Broke my heart every time, and of course, he said it to me more than anyone. He's not quite 2 so I don't really know that the soap in the mouth would have clicked with him and like someone else said, he likes eating bubbles, shampoo, etc. so it just might have backfired! I usually tried to just stay calm (the hardest part) and remind him that it's not a nice thing to say and it hurts people's feelings or makes people sad when you say that and it's better if you say ... whatever was more appropriate. It took a few weeks but the fun's mostly worn off for now. Of course, he's still young...it's probably different when they get old enough to say it BECAUSE it makes people sad and hurts their feelings! Knowing that he picked it up from me was definitely enough to make me hold my tongue from now on though!

As for tattling, a friend of mine teaches elementary school and she has a "Tattle box" which is a shoebox with a face on it and a hole in the side where the ear should be. When the kids are just overcome by the *need* to tell someone, they can tell it to the box. She says it works but I'm skeptical. With my mom's daycare kids, she will punish the tattler the same as the "tattle-ee". For the ones who just don't quit, she'll punish the tattler *instead* of the tattlee! Lots of tantrums in that house as you can imagine!

[Terrie]

We have used the soap a couple of times. We used it with dd(6) one time and have NEVER had to do it again. Now ds (3) the first time we used it we just had him hold it in between his teeth for 10 seconds and he threw up EVERYWHERE!!!!! We have done it once since and he has done a lot better. With him though it helps to sit him down and talk to him. I really like the standing in the corner though. Good idea!

[thefragile7393]

I don't know how old you are, but my friend's mom did this to him and his siblings....he's 26 now....so this was done as recently as the 80's. His mom would make him and his sibs hold the soap in their mouths for a certain amount of time....and she did it for talking back or smartmouthing.

[KaleidoscopeEyes]

This happened to me all the time as a kid (until I moved out when I was 10 in 1989) not just a washing. I would have to stand there sometimes 5-10 mins with a bar of soap in my mouth. I hated it, it's abuse and I would never do it to my child. I've heard of kids getting sick and even of one dying from dish soap before.

[dixiebabies]

Originally Posted by Bluemoon Ok I may get some slack for this but we use vinegar. They get about 1/2 t in their mouth when "naughty" words are said. The older ones get more. We got the idea from my old pastor and thought we would see if it would work. Sure enough it worked like a charm. Barbara Hi Dixie!!

Hi Barbara!! You are a WONDERFUL mama!!!! Ok Today I choose for all mama's in need of FLYFF mail to go shop at The Blue Moon. http://www.bluemoonbath.com/store/index.php

Never heard of Vinegar. I will mark that down as a possible option for future use if needed. They spit it out after a period of time right?

[Kelolsen-and-Padawan]

my parents never used it, but I was curious as to why parents would do that. One day, I rubbed the bar of soap over my own tongue. Man, t hat was gross LOL I figured out why parents did it after that! hahahaa...

[FitMommyOf2]

to all of you mamas who had the experience with soap as a kid!
I never had and can't imagine doing this to my kids!.. That being said, DD started talking back to us lately and so far I seem to go nowhere by sending her up her room...

[keegans_mommy]

Originally Posted by FitMommyOf2 to all of you mamas who had the experience with soap as a kid! I never had and can't imagine doing this to my kids!.. That being said, DD started talking back to us lately and so far I seem to go nowhere by sending her up her room...

Yup, Tiffany is getting snotty lately and this morning I asked her to get going for school and she yells back to me..."I AM!" In the nastiest way I have EVER heard! It really burned me up and I didn't know how to react and had she been standing in front of me I would have yelled back in her face.

I am not knowing how I am going to deal with the pre-teen-teen years with her being snotty!

Oh, I also have a thread here in parenting talk about Nate (our 2 year old) swearing! What to do with him???

[Shay]

We have threatened to do it.:giggle Just the thought of it happening makes her gag. We were going to use it when she was talking back. She never had a swearing problem.