Okay, you want your kid to go to school. (He has better things to do.) Your want him to get decent grades. (How can he if he doesn't go to school?) You want him to keep his room clean? (You have a hard time opening his bedroom door there is so much of his stuff piled everywhere, and when you finally do the your flung backwards by the stench!) You want him to get a job and thus depart from The Order of Young Slacker Dudes. (Why work when he can skip lunch and use that cash for cigarettes or whatever.) Want in one hand... poop in another. What do you get? What's a parent to do? Before I end up in the loony bin, give me some suggestions, will you? Now excuse me, while I go wash my hand.

-- Zoomer (fortyfiver@yahoo.com), December 19, 1999

Answers

You just leave him to it!! Your only job regarding your offspring is to guide and advise, after that it's up to him!

His room is untidy - it's HIS room, it's HIS responsibilty He skips dinner for cig's - it's HIS empty stomach and HIS lungs He skips school - it's HIS loss, HE will learn (one day) YOU want him to get decent grades - HE obviously doesn't (YET) YOU want him to get a job - HE doesn't want one (DON'T subsidise him)

-- John Robinson (j.s.robinson@ntlworld.com), December 07, 2001.