“Sometimes I really think people ought to have to pass a proper exam before they’re allowed to be parents. Not just the practical, I mean.” – Susan Sto Helit.
“Miles needs shoes” “Fair enough. The boy can’t go around barefoot.” “Miles needs $200 designer sneakers.” “And I just realized I need the windows washed, the lawn mowed, the shelves dusted, the gutters cleaned…”
Good training for adult life though. Sometimes (maybe even often) the only reward for extra effort and quality is verbal recognition (if that) and an increase in expectations. Make a supreme effort to deliver an impressive job, and that might end up being the new standard.
Likewise if you had a good imagination. My parents told me I was impossible to punish, ’cause I never went out and I could entertain myself just staring at a blank wall.
“Sometimes I really think people ought to have to pass a proper exam before they’re allowed to be parents. Not just the practical, I mean.” – Susan Sto Helit.
“Thief of Time”, Terry Pratchett