when I was a kid, my mom had a technique for that

if I left a wet towel in the bathroom floor

she would put it in my bed so when I turned back the covers to go to bed there was a wet musty towel there and I had to sleep on damp smelly sheets

she only had to do that two times and I never left a towel in the floor again

if I left dirty dishes in the kitchen she did the same thing with them.

Well what I did was to take all towels away - he had to drip dry. Twice and the problem was solved! I did the dishes in the bed thing too...but then I was an evil step mom!!!

Sorry, I am hard headed.
Can't follow my rules in my house, can't shower here.
My son agrees with this NOW, when he was young we had issues.
Now he tells his children same thing I told him.
"Do it, or you WILL regret it."
Never beat him, lots of ways to get people's attention & making them WANT to remember.

I agree, except that corporal punishment is a staple in my family. Basically, my house my rules. My son was the same way about dishes. Couldnt get him to do them. Is he a great kid with great grades?.yes

But I still feel he needs to follow the rules.He has a younger sister and she watches his example so for him to disregard a rule sets the wrong idea in her head. It was when we stopped cooking for my son that he finally started to wash dishes. I think the same method would apply to the bathroom, the smaller the rule , the simpler it is for him to do it and the less respect it would be showing for him not to do it. No clean the bathroom, including replacing the curtain in the shower,,,no showering. I think a few days of stinky would quickly change his mind

As to the original idea of the thread though, picking battles is definitely a part of parenting. I do it with my toddler because she is still learning and I dont expect nearly as much out of her as I do my teen.

let's hear it for all the EVIL step parents..i can relate

You stopped cooking for your son..what do you mean by that? Did you use food as a way to get him to do the dishes, as in taking food from him? Just wondering if I'm understanding you correctly...

yes I am wondering the same thing - you with held food as a teaching method????

Yeah, I am wondering myself..my dad use to use no dinner as punishment. That is pretty old school for sure...I think these days it would be child abuse...of course that is just my opinion, as far as the laws I don't know.

You stopped cooking for your son..what do you mean by that? Did you use food as a way to get him to do the dishes, as in taking food from him? Just wondering if I'm understanding you correctly...

You stopped cooking for your son..what do you mean by that? Did you use food as a way to get him to do the dishes, as in taking food from him? Just wondering if I'm understanding you correctly...

Yeah, I am wondering myself..my dad use to use no dinner as punishment. That is pretty old school for sure...I think these days it would be child abuse...of course that is just my opinion, as far as the laws I don't know.

It is far from child abuse. I didnt say I didnt supply food in the house, I just said I didnt cook it. HE is well old enough to cook his own food if he gets hungry, and to clean his own dishes.

If you read the posts then you see that what I, we were asking is if you with held food..and that it would be considered abuse these days. No one said having him cook for himself was abuse...
My boys cook for themselves and clean up. Nothing wrong with that...
Thank you for the clarification..the verbiage you used left it unclear.

Always a pleasure,, never a problem.

I had the same issue with my son at home with picking up. When he grew up and got his own place, I noticed everything was nice and neat. I asked how come he didn't do the same when he lived at home. His answer: didn't have to, you always did! All this time I thought what a mess he would be living in when he got his own place.