15 Ways Mexican Parents Discipline Their Kids

Telling them el cucuy is going to take them away
Is there anything scarier than el cucuy? Think of him as the boogeyman with Latin flair. Looks aside, the cucuy is known to haunt little ones and make them behave whether they like it or not. Otherwise, the monster might just come up and snatch you.
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“Le voy llamar a la policía”
If you are filled with instant panic whenever you see a police officer or a police car, it’s likely because your parents said they’ll call the cops to come take you away and put you in jail if you misbehaved. Some gaucho parents probably went so far as to have a police officer go along with pretending to arrest you if you were especially necio.
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Threatening them with la chancla
Is there anything in the world that scares Mexican children more than la chancla? The power of the seemingly harmless footwear is not to be messed with, causing kids to behave or risk experiencing the quick strike of la chancla. Even just the lift of the shoe can encourage kids to be on their best behavior. With la chancla, it’s really all the parenting you need to do (and scar your kid for life).
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“Le voy decir a tu papá”
While Mexican moms hold lots of power, especially thanks to la chancla, Mexican dads still hold a lot of authority in the household. If you ever misbehaved as a child, there’s a chance your mom got you to settle down by threatening to tell your dad – which inevitably meant you’d face the belt.
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“Te voy dar pao pao”
The power of the pao pao is real, y’all. No Mexican kid ever wants to get spanked. Even just the threat of a “pao pao” is reason enough for some kids to start crying.
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Just telling them the story of la llorona
Everyone knows the story of La Llorona. And all kids and ghost-fearing folks are terrified at the idea of the wailing spirit of drowning her kids and herself because she couldn’t be with the man she loved. Now her spirit just wanders around. Mexican moms don’t even have to threaten to drown their kids, the thought of the urban legend at Woman Hollering Creek is scary enough.
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“¡Pasiguate!” / “Te calmas o te calmo”
Sometimes, all it took was a mamá snarling at you for you to get your shit together.
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“Te voy dar un chingazo”
While threats of “pao pao” are taken pretty seriously, little kids especially don’t want their parents to give them a chingazo. Reserved for cases when children have royally fucked up, chingazos may be more rare, but they have a lasting impact on you as a kid.
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Driving past the Donkey Lady Bridge
A story best known by San Antonians, the Donkey Lady Bridge is enticing for ghoul-loving folks and moms who want their kids to act right. The screeching, disfigured woman is supposedly heard at the South Side bridge. Though the legend goes that the Donkey Lady can only mess with you if you’re physically there, we’re sure that hasn’t stopped plenty of Mexican parents from telling their kids that she’ll come get them.
Photo via Instagram / por_aye_te_wacho

Saying el diablo will take them away forever
Mexican parents often scare their kids into thinking that the devil is going to get them if they don’t behave. Aside from his supposed appearance at a local nightclub back in the ‘70s, Lord Stan himself is used to get kids to stay on the pure path and on the “good” side.
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Telling them la lechuza is watching them
A menacing owl may not seem like the scariest thing in the world, but la lechuza is enough to set kids straight. And why wouldn’t it? The urban legend goes that it stares at your through your window while you sleep. Except that it’s not exactly an owl, but a shape-shifting bruja. No thank you! We’d be on our best behavior too.
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Warning them that el chupacabra is gonna get them
Many folks will claim they’ve seen el chupacabra, which supposedly eat goats and other livestock in the flesh. Whether this is true or not, it hasn’t stopped local moms from claiming that the dog-like creature is out roaming and watching to snatch up a kid or two.
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The children at the ghost tracks
Everyone knows the urban legend of the ghost tracks. Some twisted Mexican parents think the debunked tale of the schoolbus of dead children is inspiring to get their own kids to act right. It’s potentially traumatizing, but ni modo.
Photo via Instagram / rulypondio4life

Warning them about el mal de ojo
Though not used against kids, Mexican parents believe in “el mal de ojo” enough to let is dictate how they parent. Seriously, if they get a compliment on their baby’s dress or hair or whatever, they’ll fear the risk of ojo all day. At least everything can be made better if you touch the baby or whatever it was that got complimented. If not, have a curandera on standby.
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“Te voy peliscar”
Though minor in terms of physical discipline, a stern, twisting pinch from a Mexican parent is plenty impactful for little ones to stop fussing and act right.
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