Is it unacceptable to put soap in a childs mouth if they say a bad word?

Question

For example if my 5 yr old says "d**k" and i ask him 5 times not to say it and he runs around acting like he has ants in his pants..im really getting tired of this and im running out of opts...

Answer 1

You shouldn't wait until the 5th time to use the soap. Tell him once not to say it and if he does it again, get out the soap.

Answer 2

Instead of putting soap in his mouth try time out.  Also he is more likely to keep saying it if you react to it.  He could be doing it just to get your attention.    

Answer 3

Soap is great for cleaning dirty hands but not so much for dirty mouths.  It's non-toxic, but not recommended for ingestion and can make children sick.  

A friend of mine uses pepper juice (spicy) when her son says bad words.  It's just as effective since children generally don't like it, but it's not nearly as potentially dangerous to the child's health.

Answer 4

It is absolutely acceptable to wash a child's mouth out with soap. It is called disciplining your child. Do not let all those liberals on here tell you its abusive. It is not I got my mouth washed out several times and I not only survived but stopped the behavior. It wasn't pleasant but a punishment is not supposed to be.

Answer 5

Sorry edgy;ove, but it's always black folks yelling and a whackin' their kids in the grocery store. If it looks bad, it probably is.

Soap ingestion can cause health issues. Lets face it, if the ingredients aren't meant to be ingested, they shouldn't be. Hello? FDA? Do you approve Dial?

Maybe you should get your kid tested for ADHD. Methods that break the relationship instead of creating respect (NO hitting and cruel punishment does not create respect) take place when someone lacks in parenting skills. Sorry to be harsh, but if more people took the time to be a parent, maybe the world would be a better place.

Answer 6

When my son was small I washed his mouth out with soap  soap tastes so awful then I realized he most likely did not connect the soap with the language well, my son is now 40 and I stiil feel bad about doing that to him, how about reasoning with him and explaining that this is a bad word to say and do a reward system with him and every day at the end of the day if he goes all day with out saying a bad word he gets some kind of reward  like going to the park or the pool maybe occassionallly a small gift or something, do not slap or hit him this does not help apparently he has heard someone else say these things,  lots of love and praise when he does good

Answer 7

spank him and groud him and next time he says it ground him for another week

Answer 8

use Ivory soap, it never hurt me when I was a kid.

second time...combine a spanking with the soap and ALWAYS reinforce your punishment by telling the child WHY they are being punished and why the conduct is unacceptable.

Answer 9

No that's just cruel. Make him do a chores. Once I accidently said a bad word, so my mom made me clean the toilet. You may try that! It worked for me (13).  

Answer 10

Most likely.  I would just give him one big warning and if he doesn't stop, give him time-outs.  In today's society, the things your parents used to do to you now is mostly inhumane. (Whipping, slapping, hitting, etc.)  So I would try the time-outs and not the soap because it can hurt the child's insides.  (He may be complaining of a big pain in his tummy if he swallowed any and it's somewhat hard to get all that soap out of your own mouth anyways.)

Answer 11

Just put a drop of dish soap on your finger and rub it around on his tongue.  Make him wait a few minutes before rinsing.  It worked for me and all 4 of my kids.

Answer 12

I would say it's an excellent and effective way to teach your child a lesson. Also, make sure you aren't letting him hang out with other children who have a potty mouth and the ADULTS in YOUR household are not the cause of him using this filth!

Answer 13

My mom put soap in my mouth....oh yeh....the good old fachioned Dove....Im still getting it out ten years later. Luckily Dove has the yummi candy to help ease the pain...lol. no, soap is fine. And dont be afraid to slap him. Not too soft where it has no effect not too hard where you bruise or something.  

Answer 14

Yes it is totally acceptable..My parents used this on me one time.I had heard a word at school I knew better than to say & ended up saying it to my mother (big mistake).She took me right in there and washed my mouth out with soap.I learned not to say things like that anymore.I wouldn't wait until he has said it 5 times though.After he says it once & has had a warning,by all means get the soap..:)

Answer 15

No, don't put a chemical in his mouth to teach him a lesson...because your not teaching anything.

Get down to his level make eye contact & firmly (not shouting) warn him "I don't like you saying the word d**k, it's rude..If you say it again your going in time out for 10 minutes & your not getting any dessert (or tv, toys etc) for one week"

If he says it again stick to your word!! The key to good parenting is being firm & consistant.

Answer 16

Soap contains ingredients that could be harmful if swallowed. In some parts of the country, washing a child's mouth out with soap is a child cruelty offense.

There are better, healthier ways to discipline your child.  

Answer 17

Thats awful! Oh my goodness...I don't think I would ever be able to put soap in my childs mouth. Surely you can think of a different form of punishement to stop your child from cussing?

Answer 18

I would find it mean but it would get the message across. But don't use anti-bacterial soap, putting harmful chemicals in his mouth might make discipline a little..pointless. If you must, use some sort of all natural moisturizing soap.  

Answer 19

Don't do soap in a mouth unless you want to deal with the diarrhea it will likely cause. Watch your own language especially! If he's repeating words he hears at home, you're fighting an uphill battle. If he only hears that language away from home, tell him it's not to be used in "our" house, and take away privileges (make it consequential, like no TV or games) when you hear it uttered. Foul language makes a bad impression, and he needs to learn what's expected in vocabulary to get along well in life. Good luck, hon!  

Answer 20

It Is acceptable . If he is not listening then you have to do something. I babysit and children always try to play around the way they aren't supposed to just because they think i am a pushover. but before you use soap. you should show him timeout. Dont lock him in his room with all his toys just make him sit in a bathroom or sit in in a chair for 5-10 minutes to calm down then explain to him that he cant say that word because its meaning is well . . . not nice. lol . and if that doesnt work use the soap. not liquid soap though because that could be poisonous.

Hope That Helped

Answer 21

Don't do it!! Honestly, i was 5 yrs old when i told out neighbour to f**k off, (my parent s never swore but a little boy on our street had a foul mouth), My mother grinded soap on my teeth and made me close my mouth and wouldnt let me rinse for what felt like forever, it is something i will never ever forget and i vow to never use that method on my own children, i think its horrible.

Answer 22

Well according to all the "so called experts", You can pretty much do anything to your kid except spank them!

Answer 23

Have you seen the movie "Christmas Story"?  the mom puts soap in the kids mouths all the time when they say bad words.  and the kids turned out fine, my cousin threatens that to one of her kids, she did it once, and when he says a word he's not suppose to again, she tells him what's gonna happen, and he shuts his mouth right away.  

sometimes kids need a different form of punishment, and if that's the only way to get him to stop, then i would do it.

Answer 24

no my parents did it to me all the time... just make sure the soap doesn't taste good b/c my sister put soap in her daughters mouth and she liked it and kept cussing so that she could get more (hahaha).

Answer 25

When my cousin is naughty, he either gets, Horseradish, vineger, and hot sauce. He is finally starting to learn! Yes soap is acceptiable

Answer 26

I guess you could try it and see if it works. My parents used that method on us and it worked.They have done this for years and nothing bad has ever happened to the "soap mouths" so I don't see why it would be inappropriate.

But then again in todays society if you blink at your child more than once its considered abuse! This world is turning to c**p slowly but surely.

You punish your child how you see fit and not how others do. If your only option left is to put soap in his mouth then do it.After he gets a taste of that bar soap I DOUBT he will say that word again.Just make sure you tell him why he is getting soap in his mouth so he knows what not to say again.

Good Luck

EDIT* sorry just wanted to add that the answer about being white because you are afraid to discipline your child...that was really offensive! I am white and my daughters get their butts and hands spanked when they are out of line or do something that could hurt themselves! Also most of the black people I know around my house are the ones always complaining because my girls get spanked when they try to run out in the street or something like that....and just like every other race,there are people who are against punishment as well as for it...so don't make assumptions that all WHITE people don't punish their children because I've see a h**l of a lot more white people punish their kids than everybody says don't

Answer 27

Are you white? Do you find it morally wrong to physically discipline your child? If not a good slap on the bum should stop all that naughty behaviour.  

Answer 28

i think a few spankings is a great way to keep them in line

answer mine:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 29

Technically it is illegal to wash a kids mouth out with soap. But I tell you what, once or twice and he won't say that word for a while. Make sure it's dial, it's non-toxic and leaves a BAD after taste (i would know from personal experience). Also I would say that your regular discipline (or lack there of) is not working. You may need to step it up and start with grounding or spanking. Remember a threat is only good if you follow up once and a while, but also remember he is a child and is going to test the boundaries. Also, make sure the punishment fits the crime.

Answer 30

Well put in your mouth first and see how much you like it.  

What most people don't know is that children have more taste buds than adults do so it would be even worse to a child then it would be to you.

Your child repeats what he hears so maybe you should look at what is coming out of your mouth.   As for the running around your child is 5! He is acting like a 5 yr.  Maybe you should act like a mother.

Answer 31

well it wont harm the child because i use to eat soap when i was little... yea i know i was a weird child lol.. but my mom had to watch me all the time.. but i do think that u have better options like spanking him or taking things away from him