EXCLUSIVE: Self-confessed ‘disciplined’ parents were met with backlash after revealing that they force their sons to brush their teeth with soap
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EXCLUSIVE: Self-confessed ‘disciplined’ parents were met with backlash after revealing that they force their sons to brush their teeth with soap
Parental Guidance stars and self-confessed 'disciplined' parents Rob and Sioux came under fire after admitting to forcing their sons to brush their teeth with soap when they are 'using their words incorrectly'.
‘Disciplined’ parents Rob and Sioux was met with backlash after admitting that they force their kids to brush their teeth with soap if they’re swearing. Credit: Nine.
The confession was made as a commentary to last week's episode where 'strict' parents Andrew and Miriam revealed that they smack their children when they misbehave.
Rob and Sioux told the group that "smacking is not a consequence we would ever use." However, the couple admitted that they force their kids to brush their teeth with soap as a punishment for misbehaving.
Sioux said: "I think that if there’s anything that we stick to in our house, it is that when you say there’s going to be a consequence, you actually have to follow through with it."
"If they use their words incorrectly, if they’re swearing, or if they’re using abusive or rude language, then an obvious consequence for that would be we actually do put a bit of soap on their toothbrush and brush their teeth with soap."
Footage of Rob and Sioux's sons brushing their teeth with what seems to be regular toothpaste, as opposed to the claims of their parents, was then played.
"We're disciplined with our boys, because we want to - one, prepare them for the real world, but also, we want our children to maybe make a change to, you know, to be the good in the world," Sioux added.
Rob and Sioux said that the ‘consequence’ helps prepare the kids for the real world. Credit: Nine.
The footage astounded the other parents in the room who expressed their disapproval of the parenting style of Rob and Sioux.
Penny and Daniel, who described their parenting style as 'free range', expressed their utmost dissent over the matter.
Daniel said: "It just brought back some childhood memories that if we did the wrong thing, it was disciplined in a harsh environment."
"My mother washed our mouths out with chilli all the time."
Rob was quick to reply saying the punishment was "not delivered in a harsh environment", but a "very supportive" one.
Sioux supported her husband saying: "And it’s not done in the moment. It’s a lot of reflection, a lot of talks, a lot of love. Whatever the behaviour choice is, we try to match that consequence."
"If you lie to us or you’ve sworn at us, then hopefully cleaning your mouth with soap, you get that idea of 'it just wasn’t OK'," she added.
Daniel was not convinced with the couple's claims saying: "I just couldn't imagine doing it. I just couldn't imagine."
Penny and Daniel who described their parenting style as ‘free range’ expressed their utmost dissent over the parenting style of Rob and Sioux. Credit: Nine.
Deb, a single mum-of-six, said that she supports the couple's method of delegating tasks to their children but she heavily opposes the way they discipline their kids.
Deb then commented that their disciplining style wouldn't work in her family because 'that would create tears".
Sioux then replied to Deb by saying that their method helps their sons to understand that "life has consequences".
"Whether they’re good or whether they’re bad, every action has a consequence. We just want our boys to understand that," she said.
Another parent in the room, Yann, said: "You’re using the term ‘consequence’ so much, you make me feel like stepping away from even using the concept."
Rob then explained that they've only done the punishment "twice" in nine years, defending him and his wife.
"It sounds ominous, grave, serious. There is nothing that sounds like ‘what goes around, comes around’. It could be delivered as simply as that."
Rob and Sioux said that they’ve only done the ‘consequence’ twice in nine years, defending themselves from Yann who said that the couple was overusing the term. Credit: Nine.
Parental Guidance host Dr Justin Coulson explained that the 'consequence' Sioux and Rob are referring to is just "a sugar-coated form of punishment".
Dr Coulson said: "Consequences and punishments are the same things in this circumstance. In fact, the research clearly says that when parents are more punitive, they increase the risk that their children will behave in delinquent ways."
"Research clearly shows that punishments in parenting don’t work."
"Whether it’s smacking or soap on a toothbrush, it creates shame, not lessons. In the long run, we get better-behaved kids by taking the time to connect when they make mistakes. Just talk to them."
What do you think of Rob and Sioux’s parenting style? Is it really “old school” and “harsh”? Share your thoughts in the comments below.