Washing her mouth out

Poor Emily. She is going to go through life learning things the hard way.

A couple of days ago, I told her that if (but I really meant "when") she lies to me again, I was going to wash her mouth out with soap.

.

Tonight, we went to the grocery store after the dentist. She picked out a Slim Jim for her "treat," but I told her she had to wait until we got home and had dinner before she could eat it. She held it, she looked at it, she tried to smell it. "Can I open it? I just want to smell it," she asked while I put the groceries in the cart.

.

"No, do not open it," I respond knowing full well that opening it would only lead her down the path of temptation.

.

Five minutes later we are in the car on the way home. "Mom, Emily opened her Slim Jim and licked it," tatttle-tale Hannah tells me.

.

"EMILY!!"

.

"I didn't eat it, though," she says thinking this would keep her out of trouble.

.

Five minutes later Hannah and I are bringing in the groceries, and Emily, who had been in the house for a few minutes by herself with her now opened and licked Slim Jim, tries to meet us at the door. "Are you done already?" she asked. "That was fast."

.

"Emily, did you take a bite of your Slim Jim?" I don't know how I knew, but something in her demeanor screamed, "Mom, I did it again!"

.

"No...." She sees me glance at her Slim Jim laying on the counter.

.

"No?" I am now getting cloer to her Slim Jim.

.

"Okay, yes, I did. I'll throw it away." Right now my heart is breaking. She really wanted that Slim Jim.

.

"No, give it to me. You will have to wait until tomorrow to eat it." She accepted that fate thinking she was home free. I grabbed the dish soap, and stood there with it staring at her.

.

"What is that for?" her eyes are growing wider.

.

"Did you lie to me?"

.

No response.

.

"Come here. What did I tell you would happen the next time you lied?"

.
Now her eyes are really wide. "Noooooo!!!! It will kill me!!!! I will die!!!!" At this point, I had trouble not laughing, but I eventually dropped a couple of drops into that mouth of hers, and she commenced gagging and spitting. I told her the next time I put soap into her mouth, she was going to have to let it sit in her there for several minutes before spitting it out.

.

Later we teased her about her breath being so lemony. And before she went to bed, I asked her what 2 lessons she learned tonight. She said, "Don't lie and don't eat food when I'm told not to." She never answers that quickly or that happily.

.

It was hard to discipline her like that-taking away her Slim Jim and putting soap in her mouth-, but she has to know I mean what I say, and she has to stop lying. We can't really trust her right now because she will lie without blinking an eye. And she is soooo sneaky. I love that kid dearly but man, does she push me to my limits!