Today on the morning news shows I heard about a woman that might be charged for "saucing" her son. It seems this is a practice of pouring hot sauce in your child's mouth and making them keep it in their mouth without swallowing it. First of all, I am outraged that we have come up with a "cute" name for an abusive practice. It seems if we give it a cute name it may be more palatiable.
That is however, not my main issue with this practice. When we are raising children we are teaching the child how to become a high functioning adult. When their behavior does not fall within an acceptable range it is our responsibility as the parent to guide that child and assist them in learning the proper behavior. At times this involves consequences for the misbehavior. There is a difference between consequences and punishment. Punishment may alter a behavior but only if we are likely to find out about it. We do not instill self regulation of responses with pain or humiliation. Pouring hot sauce in a child's mouth is only about hurting the child not about correcting the behavior.
I continue to be appalled and I am more and more concerned that we are not a society that cherishes children. Let me know where you stand on this. Thinks for allowing me to rant. Sherri
Comments