[SteveH]

I have two kids 14 and 12. Boy and a girl.

Both are honour students. Both seem well adjust with nice friends. I know the friends and make it a point to know the parents of the friends.

I believe you do not rule over kids but rather prepare them for life.

It is a parents responsibility to raise their kids so that eventually kids can move out and be on their own. This is a big job and starts right from the get go.

Kids by nine seven and even six do not need Dad to decide how to play a game unless they ask him for advice.

It is the word lazy that I have a problem with even in jest when it come to kids. What parent would put their kid in this category.

If a kid is lazy it is because the parents do stuff for them that they should do for themselves including settling their arguments for them.

Teach them fairness and they will be fair. Teach them how to make decisions and they will make their own choices. With luck and good advise from you they will make good choices.

When a kid (unless incapacitated in some way) asks you to get the remote for them the answer is if you want the channel changed you will have to do it yourself.

All that said, with kids you never really know what you will get but most likely you will get kids like yourself.

Steve