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[quote=Anonymous]I have 2 boys, ages 6yo and 11yo. Because of the age difference, and because they both are active, stubborn, occasionally crazy boys, we have tended to do too much for them. As in, I get all meals, do all the laundry and food prep/cleanup; my OCD husband is constantly picking up their toys for them; rules on things like screen time have to be enforced with constant reminders and cajoling and threats.

The kids rise to these (low) expectations - I have to beg them to get ready for school in the morning and multiple times each day, they behave in ways that seem more like a couple of toddlers than a kindergarten kid and a 5th grader. For example, the younger one will grab the older one's Lego and deliberately break it so that his brother will chase him around the house; they both seem to have a marvelous time doing this and it always coincides with when we're trying to get them to go get ready for bed or school.

I know that I have only myself to blame, so please don't flame me. I could really use some advice on how to end this cycle, put more responsibility for bas and encourage them to be more responsible and mature. What are reasonable expectations for kids these ages (and my 6yo will want to do whatever his older brother is permitted to do, so that's a factor)? And how do I go about making these changes - they're too old for sticker charts, right?

Thanks for any advice![/quote]

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