Her mother calmly told her to do it now or she would have to clean up the kitchen table as well. I can spend my whole day doing dumb stuff for you. Emily continued to mouth off. Now I am going to take away a privilege. You can't go over to Julie's house until the laundry is folded and the kitchen table is clean.
Big problems require bigger penalties.
One father assigned the chore of cleaning out the garage to his teen son who came home hours after curfew, claiming he didn't think to call. Should this son have refused to perform the chore, the father was prepared to restrict his contact with friends for one week, or deny his use of the family car. These ideas come from the nationally recognized Strengthening Families Program, one of the latest programs offered through MSU Extension Service. The Strengthening Families Program is a parent, youth and family skills-building program designed to prevent teen substance abuse and other behavior problems, strengthen parenting skills, and build family strengths. This program is currently available in Ravalli, Sheridan, Park, Fergus, and Valley counties and on the Fort Peck and Crow Indian reservations.