| Most of us are familiar with using hot sauce to spice | | | | because it was discovered that workers there had |
| up food. Just a few drops certainly gives a jolt of | | | | used hot sauce as a punishment for biting. The twist to |
| flavor to many popular items. Hot sauce has also | | | | the story is that the mother of the child in question in |
| come to the forefront recently as a method for | | | | the 2002 incident had given the center's employees |
| disciplining children. This practice is referred to as "hot | | | | permission to deal with the child in this fashion.The |
| saucing" or "hot tongue" and refers to a parent | | | | state of Virginia has added hot tonguing to its list of |
| punishing a child for bad behavior by putting a drop of | | | | unacceptable disciplinary practises, so called "bizarre |
| the highly seasoned substance on the tip of their child's | | | | behaviors". Other disciplinary options so described |
| tongue.This may be some parents' way of trying to | | | | include confining youngsters in closets and making little |
| make sure that the punishment fits the crime in | | | | ones get on their knees on a hard gravel surface.Not |
| situations where the youngster has been caught lying, | | | | surprisingly, this issue has caused heated debate |
| biting, or using inappropriate language. Some other | | | | between those who advocate using hot sauce and |
| parents choose to use this method of discipline for | | | | those who would not recommend it. Those individuals |
| other types of unacceptable behavior, like hitting.While | | | | who have posted message on online discussion bulletin |
| this way of dealing with children originated in the | | | | boards have received several responses with other |
| traditions of the South, news of it has gone nationwide. | | | | parents enquiring how they can justify using this |
| No statistics are available with respect to how many | | | | method for trying to stamp out bad behavior. Those |
| parents have tried it, but many experts who deal with | | | | who do try it are quick to point out that they save hot |
| children's health issues on a professional basis are | | | | saucing as a last resort, to be used only when other |
| certainly aware that parents do resort to the hot | | | | methods of discipline have failed. The other methods |
| saucing.The word about hot saucing has been referred | | | | tried, without success, are cited as being such |
| to in a parenting guide, a written publication aimed at | | | | methods as time out, negotiation, withdrawing privileges, |
| women of the Christian faith, and on various Web | | | | etc.It should be noted that child rearing experts do not |
| sites. It has been the subject of several heated | | | | recommend that parents try hot saucing as a form of |
| discussions on Internet message boards.The | | | | discipline. Perhaps we should just keep the hot sauce |
| controversy hasn't been confined only to parents. In | | | | for our food?Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre |
| some states, legislators have waded into the debate. | | | | Beach, Florida. |
| A day care center in Michigan was issued a warning | | | | |