h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For one thing, I never say "in my opinion". That is a typically female figure of speech, and I'm not buying into it. Whatever i say will always be "my opinion", nothing more and nothing less - neither something I don't really mean, nor an absolute truth that cannot be challenged.

As to the "cruelty" - that referred not to setting chores per se, but to the following:

> Possibly what works is me then prancing around saying things like 'so
> glad you didn't do your jobs, now you have to do mine and I get to
> sit around drinking coffee Go on, argue, so I can get you to hoover as well'.

That struck me as rather hostile. Call it gloating, or a demonstration of power - at any rate, this is bound to make a child cry and develop deep feelings of resentment, not become more responsible.

thanks - I've been working on the positive reinforcement for a while but no results yet... is just too grumpy to even try to understand what it is...

and - you know that bit in Mama Mia when they are getting ready for the weding and they're singing - it makes me every time.

The whole movie made me cry ... Not only for the money that I spent to entertain my wife and two friends, but the money I sunk into the DVD as a Christmas prezzie for her. Both of which I had to suffer too!