I hear you.
I agree with-one rule at a time. Give it a wk or two, then start on another rule.
"Do the dishes NOW" doesn't work for us as well as it should. We have changed (due to Ross Greene's Explosive Child book) to say, "Do the dishes after dinner if you want to watch TV." Or "Do the dishes b4 9 p.m."
If they don't do them, they get privileges taken away. Sometimes I still yell (if I'm PMS-ing, LOL!), but I find it is much more effective to let the dishes rot, and the next day when they want a Reese' peanut butter cup or to go to a friend's house, I calmly say, "No, because you didn't do the dishes last night."
Why do you feel guilty? You are not being mean. You are teaching your child responsiblity. That's a GOOD thing! :smile:
