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Original poster

Gave biting boy marmite "medicine"

243 replies

Flamesparrow · 16/03/2009 17:40

I'm not going to traumatise him for life am I?

He hated it before, just seemed a good way to make him connect that doing bad stuff with his mouth makes bad things happen to his mouth.

Many tears and apologies!

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Nabster · 16/03/2009 17:44

I am tempted to say it was inspired. I think it was better than biting him back.

CharleeInChains · 16/03/2009 17:46

Ohhhh my 2 yr old is going through a biting stage at the moment, have you found some wonderful cure FlameSparrow?! DS2 quite like marmite though!

If he goes to bite me i shove his own hand in his mouth, he does it alot less now.

AnybodyHomeMcFly · 16/03/2009 17:53

Genius!

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Original poster
Flamesparrow · 16/03/2009 18:23

Nabster - bit him back this morning Hate myself for it, hence the marmite.

Charlee - feel sure you can find another much hated foodstuff.

I went with the 'mite as I know a) he hates it and b) most of my friends have some in a cupboard if I need it round their houses

OP posts:
thesockmonsterofdoom · 16/03/2009 18:25

pure genius.

Lizzylou · 16/03/2009 18:27

I did the same thing with DS2 using malt vinegar ( a dab on my finger then onto his tongue) as he loves marmite.

It worked

cyteen · 16/03/2009 18:28

I knew there had to be a good reason for Marmite to exist.

Nabster · 16/03/2009 18:40

Don't be . We have all done things we feel rubbiah about as a parent.

KTNoo · 17/03/2009 08:39

How did you get hin to eat it though? I'm sure mine would run like the wind....

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 17/03/2009 09:29

I had him sat on my lap, sort of smeared it on his tongue, and then pointed out that if he dared try to spit/scrape it out then he would be getting more of it.

Asked if he was planning on biting today. "Not the marmite mummy!!!!"

OP posts:
MrsFreedy · 17/03/2009 13:02

When the twins went through a phase of biting each other we tried everything but nothing worked.

An aquitance suggested giving them english mustard, a bit on the tongue everytime they bit and the biting stopped overnight.

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 17/03/2009 17:43

I need to stop the spitting now, but I think I need to find a different method for a bit, or it will just turn into "demon child" = "not the marmite mummy!"

OP posts:
HecatesTwopenceworth · 17/03/2009 17:45

use mustard. [evil]

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 17/03/2009 17:48

His face with horseradish once was good....

OP posts:
soon2befamilyof4 · 17/03/2009 17:51

How old is he? I am interested because my DD is constantly biting (usually me) but I think she is too young to do much about it. She gets so frustrated. She is 14 months and seems to want to be 5years old and gets annoyed when she can't do the things we do. Usually results in headbutting, hitting, biting or just throwing herself on the floor. I childmind and she is soon to have a newborn little sister and I am quite keen to get the situation sorted. At the moment we just ignore her or say no and put her down on the floor and then ignore her for a bit.

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 17/03/2009 18:15

DS is 3 now, so quite a bit older tbh

He has turned into a demon child

OP posts:
ra29needsabettername · 17/03/2009 18:19

sorry but I don't think this is any better than smacking or biting back. Biting is horrible but with a firm no it will pass. I think you are resorting to the child's level.

bringonthetrumpets · 17/03/2009 18:22

i don't think it's going down to a child's level. i think it's about teaching kids cause and effect.

i think it's a brill idea. will definitely be using it if ds ever decides to use his teeth for anything other than eating!

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 17/03/2009 18:25

You come and firmly say no to DS.

At the moment I am at supernanny stage with the kicking, spitting, biting, running and general hell of it all. If it works, I am going with it. he doesn't like the taste of calpol either btw, and I give him that regardless.

OP posts:
luckylady74 · 17/03/2009 18:37

It is absolutely better than smacking - you don't want him to smack anyone and I doubt he'll start shoving marmite at people.
Aversion therapy is actually something that works - it's certainly used with animals as a matter of course.
I have talked to a mum of a child with sn who used hair washing and that worked for a similar issue.
Sometimes situations are so out of control you have to go with 'by any means necessary' to get control back - then work on the getting him to understand why it's wrong.

Kimi · 17/03/2009 18:40

I love it

Gemzooks · 17/03/2009 19:45

I personally feel it's not a nice way to discipline, if a childminder or other parent did this to my kid, I would be furious. you did ask for opinions! I think it is traumatic and wrong to smear something unpleasant in a child's mouth..

onebatmother · 17/03/2009 19:48

I don't think it's as bad as hitting - and I do understand that sometimes things go beyond the point of reason - but I'm really quite shocked at the gleeful responses. It's not a battle to be won, is it? They're not to be broken?

AitchTwoOh · 17/03/2009 19:52

i'm pretty shocked i think, but knowimg flamey of old i'm sure she's tried everything else.

thisisyesterday · 17/03/2009 19:54

agree with gemzooks. it's a horrible thing to do.
if he does it again are you going to physically force his mouth open and force it in???

nice.