To have squirted my DC1 with cold water?

[bubby64]

He is 11yrs and was refusing to go to bed, despite the fact it was 9.30 and we all have to be up at 6.30am to he and his twin can go to holiday club whilst DH and I go to work. He is too big for me to manhandle, wouldn't listen to reasoned discussion, a smack would do no good whatsoever, and he was starting to kick up a stink. I warned him 3 times, then after the 3rd, I used a sports bottle to squirt cold water on him so he had to go upstairs to get dry and change!
I am getting fed up with him and his brother being rude and downright bloodyminded, and I thought if it works on the dog, it will work on a child. He is now up in bed crying and saying what a bad mother I am!

He will live...lol... squirting with a bit of water really is not a major issue....

Nah, he was in the top bunk, above my head height, pretending to be asleep and not to hear me calling him, so I told him if he didn't get up, I would set him on fire. He ignored me so I got three stray hairs (of mine), held them up near his ear, (but outside the bunk safety rail) flicked my lighter (one of those noisy ones with the wheel) and lit them. He moved, instantly, cleared the bedroom completely, and was in the bathroom almost instantaneously. He also believed my threat so to speak after that, and behaved himself.
He was six inches taller than me, and in perfect health, there was no way I could have moved him any other way.
Of course, once he was moved, it was then that I spotted his girlfriend... which is a whole other story for another day

Bubby I like your style, LOL. I was at an ex'es mates house once and their DD was plying up. She was asked to change clothes to go out but she was pratting about, so when was told again, but this time was threatened with being thrown (fully clothed) into the swimming pool if she didn't go and get changed right then. Well, she didn't, so her dad picked her up and chucked her in! Funny enough she went and got changed pretty quick after that, and although I'm not a parent I though kudos to them for carrying out the threat. No harm done I figured, and boundaries were reinforced. Child had to get changed, but would have to have done so anyway.

Pure genius OP

I wouldn't do it not because I think it's wrong but because it then makes you into the bad guy and gives him more reason to moan, That's just my experience. Saying all that though, I have just remembered putting ds in the bath fully clothed because he wouldn't get undressed
Is he really upstairs crying because he got a bit wet? At 11? We have worse strops now than the terrible twos! Ever seen Kevin and Perry?

An acquaintance thinks it is acceptable to put his children in a cold shower, fully clothed, door held shut for discipline. He is very open about doing it. So considering it was just a few squirts from a bottle, YANBU.

Before any one asks, I will not be following his lead anytime soon.

I don't know.
It's a line I wouldn't have wanted to cross. Technically assault.

I would wonder why he was crying. I can imagine doing this to my ds- he's 11 too- to break an impasse. But he would laugh. And I would have to watch my back for q day or two!

Oh, and the "it's technically assault" remark is bonkers.

This post made me laugh. Quite ingenious I reckon. Beats slapping him.

When dd was first crawling, she edged towards something I didn't want her to go to (can't remember what). She paid no attention to me and I flicked water at her like I do the cats when theyre doing something bad. Had no affect on dd either, but I nearly wet myself at the stupidity of what I'd done!

May I refer you my post above re: technically assault.

How did I know? :o

Wish I'd thought of that one OP when our DD was a teen - a good soaking with a water pistol might have stopped many a dramatic flounce in it's tracks!

Oh and catwoo - hahahahahaha! You are verrrry funny but don't give up your day job eh?

I have chucked a pan of cold water over DS 1 when he was deliberately prolonging a tantrum in the middle of the kitchen floor, I think he was about 10 and was outraged. I now threaten him with putting baby pics on Facebook and tagging him ( I also threatened to take a picture of the loo when he had left it pebble dashed and post and tag that on Facebook, he moved pretty fast to clean it!).

YABU id have dunked his head in a sink full of water

how can it be assault? Its bloody water. Does that mean when i get hit by the rain im getting assaulted

"At Common Law, an intentional act by one person that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent harmful or offensive contact.

An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in either criminal or civil liability. Generally, the common law definition is the same in criminal and Tort Law. There is, however, an additional Criminal Law category of assault consisting of an attempted but unsuccessful Battery."

cold water, as far as I'm aware, will NOT cause bodily harm. Thus, squirting a bit of water on someone does not constitute assault.

spitting at someone is assault and that's not going to cause bodily harm?

I personally wouldn't do it.

Your ds will now think its ok to do this or something similar if he is annoyed, to his brother/friend/parents.

I would have a talk to him and tell him how frustrated you were, but that you shouldn't have done it and he shouldn't do it to anyone.

Hi all, I apologised next morning for squirting him, and he said "no mum, you were right, I was being a brat" so he is clearly understanding why I did it. And yes- temper tantrums in 10-11yr olds are defiantly worse than in toddlers, as a) they are bigger b) they know they can say/do things which will make you upset c) they are not so easily diverted. All of you who have this to come- watch out!
Oh, and as for assault- if I had obeyed my overriding desire to slap his leg, that could be counted as assault, if squirting with water is assault, then water pistols would be classed as weapons by the courts!

spitting can transmit all kinds of disease, so yes, it can cause bodily harm