Kylie Kelce, wife of NFL star Jason Kelce, has ignited a fierce debate after confessing to using a highly contentious disciplinary technique on her children. The 33-year-old mother of four disclosed that she resorts to the age-old practice of washing her daughters' mouths out with soap when they use profanity.
The Podcast Revelation
Kylie made the admission during a recent appearance on the popular New Heights podcast, hosted by her husband Jason and his brother Travis Kelce. The discussion turned to managing children's behaviour during stressful holiday periods, prompted by stories shared by listeners on social media platform X.
"When our kids say something they shouldn't say right now, it's soap in your mouth," Kylie stated plainly. She elaborated with an anecdote about her eldest daughter, six-year-old Wyatt, who once used the word 'b***h'. "I don't know that she got [soap] that time because she had buyer's remorse very quickly, but she has gotten it before, which is how she knows I'm not joking about a bar of soap," Kylie explained.
She emphasised her stance against idle threats, asserting, "You can't do empty threats, that's what you can't do with it, it's a waste of time." The family also includes daughters Elliotte, four, Bennett, two, and eight-month-old Finnley.
Immediate Backlash and Expert Condemnation
The reaction to Kylie Kelce's parenting method was swift and largely critical. Shortly after the podcast episode aired, a fan took to X to express disgust, calling the practice "beyond repulsive" and labelling Kylie a "weirdo".
More significantly, the method has long been condemned by child development specialists. A parenting expert from Family Education has previously branded mouth-washing with soap as an act of "cruelty" rather than effective discipline. This view is echoed by prominent advice columns; in 2016, the Chicago Tribune's 'Ask Amy' columnist told Scary Mommy she considers the tactic extremely harmful to children.
A Broader Conversation on Discipline
This incident has thrust the broader conversation about appropriate and effective child discipline back into the spotlight. The segment on the Kelces' podcast began with them reading a submission from a parent dealing with a nine-year-old who called her a "fat b***h" to avoid a dentist appointment, highlighting the common struggles parents face.
Kylie herself questioned the practicality of the method for older children, musing, "How are you supposed to put soap in a nine-year-old's mouth?" Travis Kelce jokingly suggested alternative scare tactics, like threatening prison time.
The controversy arrives just days after Kylie discussed personal values on her own podcast, Not Gonna Lie, where she explained her decision to avoid Botox, wanting her daughters to embrace natural aging. While she supports personal choice for others, her latest revelation about discipline has drawn a clear line between her personal parenting philosophy and mainstream expert advice, sparking a nationwide discussion on where to draw the line between correction and harm.
