vinegar as a form of punishment

missyishere · October 2012

I've heard apple cider vinegar can be healthy for adults to ingest for health, but I'm not sure having children ingest it is okay. My friend uses it as a form of punishment for her 2+ year old when he mouths off, but I think she just uses regular vinegar. I can't imagine what it must taste like, but she claims to only use 1/2 tsp for punishment. Before I jump to conclusions, do you ladies have any thoughts? Have you heard of others doing this?

[Deleted User] · October 2012

Someone is not going to enjoy vinaigrette when he gets older.

LCass · October 2012

Never heard of that before. What kinds of things is she punishing him for? I don't really understand why you would do that. I don't think children at that age need to be punished so much as they need to be corrected, therefore the "punishment" should provide a lesson (e.g. if you hit someone you get a timeout because you're showing you can't be around people).

cantalopes24 · October 2012

What Lcass said and when I hear about people who think of these things I have to wonder wtf is wrong with them. I'm sure the kid isn't just taking it like a man and the thought of holding my screaming and crying toddler down while force feeding them vinegar makes me want to cry. I honestly don't think I could stay friends with someone who would do something like that.I wish child psychology was a HS graduation requirement.

DoctorWorm222 · October 2012

I'm pretty sure that straight vinegar would be painful on a toddler's sensitive skin and mouth. Not cool.

LCass · October 2012

cantalopes24:
What Lcass said and when I hear about people who think of these things I have to wonder wtf is wrong with them. I'm sure the kid isn't just taking it like a man and the thought of holding my screaming and crying toddler down while force feeding them vinegar makes me want to cry. I honestly don't think I could stay friends with someone who would do something like that.I wish child psychology was a HS graduation requirement.

Exactly. I've had that conversation with a number of people, ever since a guy I worked with pointed out that he and his partner had to take a class to adopt a child but anybody can procreate and be trusted to take care of their child. Parenting should be a mandatory course in high school; even if you plan to never have children, you will have to interact with them and should have some basic knowledge.

The image you painted of holding a screaming toddler down and forcing them to drink vinegar made me nearly cry and vomit at the same time. Crying Ick!

aliciaroset · October 2012

forcing your child to ingest anything as punishment is effed up.

CMonkey515 · October 2012

A family I used to babysit for when I was a teen did the same thing. They told me that I should give a spoonful of vinegar if they misbehaved. I could never bring myself to do it. It was too mean.

jonnygurl76 · October 2012

Pretty sure that could be labeled as abusive.

missyishere · October 2012

LCass:
Never heard of that before. What kinds of things is she punishing him for? I don't really understand why you would do that. I don't think children at that age need to be punished so much as they need to be corrected, therefore the "punishment" should provide a lesson (e.g. if you hit someone you get a timeout because you're showing you can't be around people).

Exactly what I thought. I have never actually seen her do it, but I never thought it sounded very humane. She is one of those friends I tolerate just because we have so many mutual friends. We used to be closer, but the more I get to know her, the less I find we have in common. She's the mom who required people to bring home a goldfish from her son's party regardless if we wanted to or not. Her son is also a meanie toward Nora. He pushes and shoves her all the time. He takes toys away from her knowing she's a baby and doesn't know better. I have definitely been distancing myself from her lately. I just wanted to see if any of you ladies have ever heard of people doing this, because it just didn't seem proper to me.

AngLK987 · October 2012

crystalbaby:
jonnygurl76:
Pretty sure that could be labeled as abusive.
I definitely consider it abusive. There is no way that I wouldn't say anything, especially if I was friends with this person.

UM this exactly.

What on earth could this child possibly be learning from this? That vinegar tastes bad? Seriously. I'm a FIRM believer in natural and logical consequences... a consequence for an action must teach in some way that that action was wrong, and also give the child another choice, or a positive replacement action. Your child hits another child, they get time out, because they cannot be around other children, and given a replacement action, like doing a "hook up", quiet time, or talking to a parent, but hitting is not okay. A spoonful of vinegar teaches what exactly? This peeves me off that someone thinks this is okay.

Recently in my state 2 babysitters were arrested for tying a toddler to a coffee table as a punishment because they didn't know what else to do with him. Seriously? What part of your brain thinks that is okay?

I can't remember who posted it, but the fact that great families who chose to adopt have to take parenting classes, but anyone can procreate with no body doing anything about it. It sucks.

Sunburn19 · October 2012

Sounds twisted.

Nita2603 · October 2012

Yeah, I don't think I could just shut up about it either. This is abusive and wrong. What's the next step? Hot sauce?
Hearing stuff like that makes me so sad. It also makes me want to jump the mother, wrestle her to the ground and force some vinegar down her throat. She is doing something wrong, so it is appropriate, right?!

PurpleDrewbie5 · October 2012

PappsMcgee:
That's so sad. Vinegar can damage the esophagus, eat at tooth enamel and many other things. I agree with others that it's borderline abuse, especially at that age

This minus the borderline. It is abusive. I remember watching a story about a woman who did that to her kids. She also made them drink hot sauce. It's stupid and it's wrong. I would report her.

Elsa1984 · October 2012

PurpleDrewbie5:
PappsMcgee:
That's so sad. Vinegar can damage the esophagus, eat at tooth enamel and many other things. I agree with others that it's borderline abuse, especially at that age
This minus the borderline. It is abusive. I remember watching a story about a woman who did that to her kids. She also made them drink hot sauce. It's stupid and it's wrong. I would report her.

I remember seeing something like that on Dr Phil. She would even make her kid take a freezing cold shower. From what I remember, the backlash from that episode towards that mother was crazy. I know they did a follow up and stuff but I cannot remember what happened. I think CPS got involved though.

I feel bad for that kid and I don't think I would be able to hang out with the mom. I know everyone parents differently but that is just sad. My former coworker had a daughter that would wet the bed. Her boyfriend at the time would make her carry a five gallon bucket of rocks on her forearms in the backyard and make laps. She was humiliated, and it did nothing to help the bedwetting. She was 11and still wetting the bed when I saw her a few years ago, and was terrified of her moms boyfriend...so she would clean up everything before he found out. I felt so bad for her. The mom said the only thing she disagreed about with him was how to discipline the kids. She kicked him to the curb, after she had a planned baby with him. Crazy. Her daughter is 18 now and said a lot of times she would have dreams that she had peed the bed and was getting punished by the boyfriend, and would get scared and pee in her sleep.

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