How to get 4 yo DD to stop spitting

[DitaVonCheese]

It's vile. She does it all the time and 16 month DS has started copying her too. It's a kind of wet pursed lips raspberry thing that an adult could do without spraying spit but a 4 yo apparently can't, so if you're close enough you get sprayed/dinner table does etc. ARGH. It's driving DH and I up the wall. How can we make her stop without resorting to tasering?

We have tried ignoring. Tomorrow she and DS are having dinner before DH and I as punishment for constantly spitting throughout dinner tonight (appreciate this is probably too long a gap between misdemeanour/punishment). Sometimes it's clearly because she's angry or upset, but she also does it randomly as well, it's almost like a tic. So you'll be having a nice conversation or chat or cuddle with her or be reading a book and she'll randomly spit in your face. It's SO INFURIATING.

Suspect we're dealing with it badly. I can't help describing it as disgusting etc. Plus DH and I now getting really annoyed really quickly with it. HELP.

You could try telling her she's only allowed to spit in the sink (like, when brushing teeth, but if she has a random urge then she's welcome to go off to the sink and do it too!) and then every time she spits remind her that she needs to do that in the sink. Take her to the sink if necessary (ie, if she keeps doing it back at you in a kind of "Ha-ha, I don't have to do it in the sink, I can do it here!"

This seems to have reduced it with DS as well as disengaging with him when he's doing it, like if I was reading a story or something I'd say "DON'T do that, that's horrible. I won't read to you if you spit at me." and then follow through and stop reading, playing, etc if he's continuing.

I don't think there's anything wrong with calling it disgusting - it is!

Thanks Bertie - meant to put in my OP that I've started to do that this evening (over dinner, told her she could get down and go and spit in another room if she wanted) but haven't been trying it long enough to see if it works. Glad we're not the only ones who've had this issue.

Though have been googling for ideas too and could always try some light corporal punishment

sympathies: we have this on and off. It is all about attention (dd1 will be 4 in Jan) - she knows it drives me demented. We taught her to spit in the sink, which works, mostly. But ignoring it, or just giving her the evil eye when she does it, but not rising to the bait does seem to work (mostly)