'Was I Wrong For Using A Spray Bottle To Train My Nephew?'

You’ve probably heard of pet owners using spray bottles filled with water to keep cheeky pets in line, but what about using the same method on a child?

An aunt decided to try it on her ‘monster’ nephew, and it’s now caused issues in the family – but was she really in the wrong?

She says while she adores her six-year-old nephew, he’s naughty, and doesn’t seems to know any boundaries.

“My nephew is a rainbow baby,” the woman explained on reddit. “My sister had a lot of trouble conceiving and he was kind of a miracle. She was 42 when she finally managed to give birth. She was on bed rest for the last three months of her pregnancy.

“My nephew is now six and, while I love him, he is a monster. He throws tantrums when things don’t go his way. He screams if he loses playing a game. He refuses to understand why he can’t ride my seven year old St Bernard.

“And he thinks any food is his. My husband is diabetic and he loves cookies. I found a bakery that makes amazing sugar free cookies but they are expensive. I budget for them because my husband deserves his treats when he gets home from work.”

The woman’s sister and nephew were recently visiting, with the six-year-old ‘running around like a squirrel’.

“He tripped and started crying so my sister picked him up. He saw the cookie container on the counter and started asking for some. I said no that they were special cookies for his uncle. I offered him a regular cookie or some fruit but he got all upset that he was being denied. My sister asked if he could please have a cookie. I relented and gave him one. He took a bite and said it was yucky and threw it on the ground. I was a little upset.

“A little while later he came back and asked for another cookie. I said no. My sister said to just give him one. I told her no, he wasted the last one. He started screaming that he wanted a cookie. I stood my ground. He eventually went away.”

But the little cookie monster wasn’t deterred. He returned later, looking for another cookie.

“Next time he came he didn’t ask. He just went for the container. I grabbed the spray bottle I use to keep the cat off the counter. I gave him a couple of squirts and said ‘NO’. He got startled and ran away. My sister said her son isn’t an animal to be reprimanded with water. The next time he came into the kitchen I put my hand on the spray bottle. He didn’t even look at the counter and he went away.

“My sister called my parents to tell on me for treating her kid like that. They are mad at me for not giving in to the poor baby.”

The woman now wants to know if she was in the wrong. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.

41 Comments

- - Zmijka86 said
  - 30 Jun 2023
    8:32 pm
Not sure if I will do that.

- - meedee said
  - 10 Mar 2023
    12:43 pm
No you are not wrong. Your sister needs to wake up to herself. She might love her son but the World wont. When my kids would act up my Mum would say “Its ok” and I would say “No Mum its not. If that was a child you didnt know would you be looking at them and thinking ‘what a lovely child or what a total brat?'”…. I told her I want my kids to be liked and to grow into lovely adults. She saw my point.

- - mom101628 said
  - 03 Nov 2022
    12:31 am
Doubt I would have resorted to a spray of water, but I most certainly would have stood my ground and not given any cookies to the child. Maybe your sister needs to learn how to keep her son in check as well.

- - ~Loui~ said
  - 31 Oct 2022
    10:14 am
The behaviour of the child and his mother are quite questionable.

- - Jessica said
  - 27 Oct 2022
    10:10 pm
The kid needs boundaries put in place but I don’t think spraying water is going to do that.

- - mom473361 said
  - 26 Oct 2022
    5:26 am
Maybe you should spray his mother while your at it as she clearly needs some help in doing the right thing by her child, and that is not to give in to everything he wants as he is going to grow up into a right little so and so. And I would hide that special cookie jar before he comes, what do they say, outta sight, outta mind.

- - mom208217 said
  - 20 Oct 2022
    3:51 pm
I would probably do this on the little monster if I had done that as a child I would not walk for a week definitely not inviting him back

- - mom485263 said
  - 20 Oct 2022
    10:58 am
I giggled. Maybe not what I would have done but it got your message across.

- - Lividanke said
  - 18 Oct 2022
    5:06 pm
This actually made me giggle a little.
I don’t think I’d like it if someone sprayed my child with water, however if my kids started with this kind of behaviour at someone else’s house, there’s no way I would put up with it and if they didn’t eat the first cookie, there’s no way I’d give in and let them have another.
The mum needs to learn how to put her foot down a bit.

- - ella12 said
  - 18 Oct 2022
    4:36 pm
Not something that I would do if my nephew was naughty.

- - mom468034 said
  - 18 Oct 2022
    1:55 pm
Not wrong, and I’m trying this approach with my own kids as soon as i get home and face another tantrum!

- - mom265671 said
  - 17 Oct 2022
    10:18 pm
Why couldn’t the cookies just be moved? I think it was a little rude. If someone sprayed my children i would be somewhat upset

- - rovermum said
  - 17 Oct 2022
    11:27 am
I’m sorry, but laughing a little under my breath. I love this. It clearly worked! Someone has to set boundaries for this boy otherwise he won’t have any friends and will grow into a selfish, entitled adult.
- mom468034 replied
  
  18 Oct 2022 , 10:25 am
  Yes!!!! Me too!!
- - mom103778 said
  - 17 Oct 2022
    11:15 am
I don’t think I would have sprayed him, I probably would have put the cookies away after giving him the first one or when he asked the second time, I would have given him the one he threw away and explained that he could have another one if he ate that one.

- - MamaM said
  - 17 Oct 2022
    7:11 am
Not ok- the kid is 6 and while setting boundaries is fine, you still should treat kids like people. If you wouldn’t want to be treated like that, don’t treat a kid like that. You can set a boundary and still be respectful.
Also it baffles me how many people claim “Kids today have no respect” and then treat them with no respect. I wonder where they learnt that…

- - mom223151 said
  - 17 Oct 2022
    12:15 am
The child is a menace and a spoilt brat. Boundaries should be set and he should be taught some manners and respect. Omg how will he be when his hits 13 onwards. He needs help and so does the mother.

- - shocolatmoose said
  - 16 Oct 2022
    9:03 pm
If the mum isnt going to do anything after he wasted the first cookie, then i think you are fine with the action of a squirt of water, it also seemed to work since you didnt have to do it a second time. might be some hurt feelings, but i doubt he’ll try and pinch cookies again, maybe hide the jar before his next visit

- - mom489452 said
  - 16 Oct 2022
    7:52 pm
One of my sons then about 6 years urinated in a water pistol and sprayed the kids next door. The kids laughed it off at the time and my son has been laughing for years

- - nicb467615 said
  - 16 Oct 2022
    7:23 pm
This is quite funny.
His mum shouldn’t be allowing him to get away with that. Especially after he threw the first one on the floor. Is she wont do anything and you are limited in what action you can take. Why not?

- - cassy26 said
  - 16 Oct 2022
    11:06 am
Hahaha this makes me laugh a little… He’s clearly behaving like an animal and if your sister isn’t going to pull him into line, well…….fair enough! Having said that, This would never work on my kids they’d think it was fun and just want me to keep spraying them lol