# Got my 1st bad review...



## Stacyspy (Jun 1, 2017)

...because I refused, politely, to teach a 5 year old how to make CP. When the child's grandmother asked, I assumed she meant MP, which I would do... but no, I was informed, she wants to make "real" soap; that they had been watching videos online. When I suggested she may want to start with MP, I got "She can handle making soap, any idiot can." And that's when I replied that I wouldn't be comfortable having a child using lye in my workshop, that I felt it was too dangerous for the child, and myself. Now, I'm a no good so and so, my products are inferior, I hate children, bad customer service, blah, blah, blah... Luckily for me, I was at my Saturday market, and several people overheard her, so at least the are folks that know the real story. Sigh.


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## Millie (Jun 1, 2017)

Good for you! Most people who see the review will realize you take your role as an educator seriously. Best of luck!


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## toxikon (Jun 1, 2017)

Yeesh what an awful person.

Sadly this is a thing that crops up all too often in my industry: face painting. Parents think that just because they waited in a line we owe them the world. No, I'm not painting your kid with chicken pox all over their face. No, I'm not painting your crying baby. 

You handled it really well - especially when she outright called you an idiot. Wow, some nerve.


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## earlene (Jun 1, 2017)

My heavens!  Next time, use a statement like, 'My liability insurance doesn't cover minors handling caustic chemicals used in soapmaking.'  Or something along those lines.  If an adult can't understand that, too bad.


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## CTAnton (Jun 1, 2017)

Thanks for posting this Stacyspy...chances are this will never happen to you again but it does give the rest of us a bit of a heads up. 
I'm with Earlene....let it be the business insurance that would never allow for such a thing....and then, there's another option...the mother's home under her insurance and a totally private session...for good money, of course...


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## dibbles (Jun 1, 2017)

Earlene's answer seems to be a good way to handle this. But hopefully there won't be a next time. What kind of a person would want a 5 year old handling lye.

Was a review that was written somewhere? If so, is it possible to post a response detailing the circumstances to at least get your side of things out there? It's really unfair for that person to do something like that.


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## Dahila (Jun 1, 2017)

Stacy I had it , last Saturday,  I had refused telling her that I am not allowed let anyone in when I work with cosmetics that it is a regulation in Canada...........she also asked me to teach her soap and her daughter 8 years old.


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## Cellador (Jun 1, 2017)

Ridiculous! My daughter is almost 5, and I have a hard enough time baking with her!


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## WeaversPort (Jun 1, 2017)

Some people are insane... I'm sorry you had to go through that. Do you think it is worth addressing the review directly? That way people can see at least one of you knows how to act like an adult.


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## SunRiseArts (Jun 2, 2017)

I am actually more concern at what kind of parent or grandparent is that. That is like child endangerment.


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## lenarenee (Jun 2, 2017)

Okay, so this isn't a written review on a website?  'Cause if it is, this child care professional with 20+ years of experience would be happy to write you a detailed list of developmental reasons why ANY 5 year old shouldn't be involved in the process of making lye soap batter.  So there!


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## Susie (Jun 2, 2017)

Good for you, standing up to her!

No kids in the kitchen while soaping is the rule for many, many people.  If they don't trust their own kids in their own kitchen, why would they be willing to have a stranger's kid involved with lye?


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## shunt2011 (Jun 2, 2017)

You did the right thing.  I have small grandchildren and they aren't allowed in the kitchen when I'm making soap.  I'm certainly not going to teach them how to make it.  Heck, just showing my daughter how was stressful enough.  I have showed others but sorry, no children.  Too much liability.


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## artemis (Jun 2, 2017)

Yeah... Teaching your own kids is one thing: you know how responsible they are, what they can handle.  Some random 5 year old is too unpredictable for my taste.

 Each of mine has made a batch or two with me. But they are not 5! Even at 8, the only thing Pax did was measuring oils and water and wiggling the hanger around in the batter.


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## Arimara (Jun 2, 2017)

This is how you know I'm still a millenial- I would have forgotten my upbringing and put that wench in her place. granted, I don't sell, so I could completely get away from it. What kind of grandmother doesn't think about the fact that the kid is five? I won't even let my own child near my soaping supplies and she is eight. Honestly, how stupid can a person be and to deliberately leave bad reviews about you because you won't teach a five-year-old how to make CP soap? I hope someone puts that wench in her place and call her out on her stupidity.


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## Stacyspy (Jun 2, 2017)

earlene said:


> My heavens!  Next time, use a statement like, 'My liability insurance doesn't cover minors handling caustic chemicals used in soapmaking.'  Or something along those lines.  If an adult can't understand that, too bad.



I think I may have mentioned it, but after the idiot remark, my mind kind of blanked, and it was all I could do not to be rude...lol



> Was a review that was written somewhere? If so, is it possible to post a response detailing the circumstances to at least get your side of things out there? It's really unfair for that person to do something like that.



Yes, on a FB small business advertising page for my area. However, she was pretty quickly put in her place by other members... and the admin for that page has said she will remove the post if I choose.


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## duckinatub (Jun 2, 2017)

Thank you for sharing  You did the right thing


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## Stacyspy (Jun 2, 2017)

Dahila said:


> Stacy I had it , last Saturday,  I had refused telling her that I am not allowed let anyone in when I work with cosmetics that it is a regulation in Canada...........she also asked me to teach her soap and her daughter 8 years old.



What are people thinking? Why would they think it's ok? 

[/QUOTE]I am actually more concern at what kind of parent or grandparent is that. That is like child endangerment.





> This is the gma... It makes me sad that being with her is seen as the best option for the child.


Okay, so this isn't a written review on a website? 'Cause if it is, this child care professional with 20+ years of experience would be happy to write you a detailed list of developmental reasons why ANY 5 year old shouldn't be involved in the process of making lye soap batter. So there!





> Yes, but it will be removed today...the admin of the page wanted to make sure I had the chance to see and copy everything.


This is how you know I'm still a millenial- I would have forgotten my upbringing and put that wench in her place. granted, I don't sell, so I could completely get away from it. What kind of grandmother doesn't think about the fact that the kid is five? I won't even let my own child near my soaping supplies and she is eight. Honestly, how stupid can a person be and to deliberately leave bad reviews about you because you won't teach a five-year-old how to make CP soap? I hope someone puts that wench in her place and call her out on her stupidity.





> I have given up trying to figure people out... I'm in my late 40's, and I have a hard time holding my tongue. But I figured if I lost my cool, she wins...and that won't happen...lol
> 
> Thanks all for the replies! I try to be responsible, and even when something like this happens, I just stick to my guns...and come rant about it here


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## Dahila (Jun 2, 2017)

Spacy it did not happen first time to me, more like 5th.  People are trying to learn the cheap way.  I usually send them to Candora; local supplier and she does have classes.  Even that they are only for adults


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## IrishLass (Jun 2, 2017)

Stacyspy said:


> When I suggested she may want to start with MP, I got "She can handle making soap, any idiot can."


 
I don't know if I could ever have brought myself to say the following to her, but I confess that I certainly would have thought it: "Well, since any _idiot_ can handle making soap, why don't _you_ make some soap and teach her?" :razz: 

For what it's worth, I would have told her, 'No', too. When you think of how many soaping accidents get reported here on the forum by us who are careful adults, it's a no-brainer that it's best to wait until kids older/more mature with better hand dexterity, etc...

When my son was younger I would let him watch me make soap (with proper attire on for protection), but it was only when he was nine or ten that I would actually let him help- but never with handling the lye, i.e., making or pouring the solution. I would only let him help after it was poured into the oils. When he was about 12, I felt I could trust him with making the lye solution (under my watchful supervision, of course), but by then his interests had moved on to other things.


IrishLass


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## Luviesmom (Jun 3, 2017)

That is absolutely absurd.  I have a 5 year old, she cannot pour a gallon of milk into her cereal bowl without spilling.

You bet your sweet bippie that Grandma would be the first to sue you too if her grandchild was injured in any way!


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## earlene (Jun 3, 2017)

Okay so that was the grand mother.  Wonder how her mom would have felt about that whole exchange!  (If the mom is still around.)  In any case, my DIL definitely cared about my granddaughter's safety when she was 5 (and still does, of course) and would have never let me take my granddaughter anywhere again if I'd let her play with lye at that age!


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## MySoapyHeart (Jun 3, 2017)

If that 5 year old were ready to handle corrosive, eat through metal, melt your skin, burn through plastic- type of lye, then the McClaren team needs to hand over some car keys.  That kid is ready to burn some rubber...

When I was 5 I couldn`t even ride my bike without topple over...


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