Teenagers!! Lazy or Correct re shutting coop door nightly

[rides2far]

Well, she was a smart girl. I prefer to think I tortured her for quite awhile. She never knew if she'd come home to find us sitting with her parents. I'm sure she spent a lot of time worrying about that + the fact we were neighbors (one door down). She probably flinched every time she saw us. We also informed the ag teacher in charge of the sheep. Lesson learned about paying up front.

 

[Mutt Farm]

Excellent example of creative discipline. Our children found that when they slammed their bedroom doors, their doors disappeared.

IMO if you specifically tell him to close the door nightly and he barks back or doesn't do it, it's disobedience and/or lazy...

I'm of the opinion that since he is living under your roof and they are your chickens his 'opinion' can certainly be taken into account, but it's you that makes the final decision and that should be followed by him even if he disagrees...

I'm old school, if it was my kid that refused to close the coop door after I instructed him to do so, he would come home to his bedroom door removed and missing and would have to earn it back by closing the coop door every night for a period of time...

 

[Peeps61]

Going back to the original poster - I can't suggest to you how to handle your (as in lives in your house) teenage, but I can tell you how I handled my situation.

My husband and I were out of town for 3 days and I had my younger stepdaughter take responsibility for the chickens. I am fully aware that most of the chores did not get done until a few hours before we were due home, but the chickens were a daily thing.

She forgot to close the coop the night before we got back, and my flock was attacked. When I got home the next morning and viewed the destruction/carnage, she was dragged out of the bed and told to clean it up and then she had to assist me in doctoring the surviving hens.

Needless to say, she was in tears and has NEVER forgotten to close the coop again when asked.

"I forgot" is not an acceptable excuse. Living things died and were injured because of your forgetfulness.

Another way I taught them to ensure our dogs had water was to allow no milk on their morning cereal. "You can eat it dry and get the same nutrition. Plus, now you know how the dogs feel."

The water situation improved.

 

[aart]

Well, she was a smart girl. I prefer to think I tortured her for quite awhile. She never knew if she'd come home to find us sitting with her parents. I'm sure she spent a lot of time worrying about that + the fact we were neighbors (one door down). She probably flinched every time she saw us. We also informed the ag teacher in charge of the sheep. Lesson learned about paying up front.

I was thinking about that, might have been even more effective a lesson than putting it on the table.

 

[rides2far]

Well, I am a retired teacher. I know how to torture kids! But you're right, too. We probably should have busted her.

 

[Folly's place]

I want to thank all of you for this thread. My children are (THANK GOD!) all grown up, but this has been a great read. Mary

 

[enola]

Excellent example of creative discipline.  Our children found that when they slammed their bedroom doors, their doors disappeared.

Removal of bedroom doors can work miracles.......

 

[rides2far]

I want to thank all of you for this thread.  My children are (THANK GOD!)  all grown up, but this has been a great read.  Mary

Mine too! AND they are productive citizens. Now to worry about how the grandchildren will turn out! Oy vey.

 

[bobbi-j]

Well, I am a retired teacher. I know how to torture kids! But you're right, too. We probably should have busted her.

I love it! I used to be a Bible Camp counselor. One year, one of my campers hung one of my undergarments on the flag pole, for everyone to see it in the morning for flag raising. Her mistake was doing it the first night! I told her, "You know I have ALL WEEK to get you back, don't you?" Poor kid spent the entire week sleeping light and looking over her shoulder. (I didn't do anything, but took great pleasure in making her wonder

)

 

[ConPollos]

Animal/farm sitters should be shown the law codes about felony animal cruelty, and told that neglecting your animals is a felony crime which will be reported.

I have a sister that I believe has full blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder, she lacks empathy, uses and abuses others, sees her pets only as status symbols, etc.

A friend asked her to care for his dog over a three day weekend while he was out of town. The beloved dog was 17 years old. My sister took to her bed for the weekend with a migraine. I checked on her often and made trips to get her pain meds and snacks, etc. She could have easily asked me to care for that dog.

I had no idea the dog was not being fed or watered, because that's inconceivable to me. If anything, I assumed she'd arranged for one of her friends to care for the dog.

When the dog's owner came back he found it paralyzed and near death. He was furious. I listened to my sister in amazement as she made excuses, like: That dog can go around and get whatever it needs from the neighbors...and, He's exaggerating, the dog really wasn't in bad shape...and, holistic vets recommend fasting for dogs, etc. Not one ounce of remorse or compassion.

But my teenaged daughter soon went to work for the vet who treated the dog, and she looked up the records, so we know that truley the dog had almost died.

My sister was a dog breeder at the time, and a horse owner at the time, plus had cats, and was a single mom. She had her masters degree and a good career. Does that sound like a responsible person to you?

Her image matters more to her than anybody's feelings.

Because I knew the truth about her abuse of that dog, she began to slander me all over town to discredit me just in case I ever told anyone.

Don't trust anyone to care for your animals unless they have a lot of good references, and even then keep checking on them. I used to work with horses, and I made extra money by farm sitting and horse feeding for people who were out of town or busy, but even though I had great references the owners always called me a couple of times a day to check up, and they had their neighbors double checking too.

Also, I only know of one case where a dog escaped from a boarding kennel and was lost; but I know of quite a few cases of dogs that disappeared when a pet sitter was hired to care for them at home. Even if you get a farm sitter, it's much safer to board your dogs at a reputable kennel or veterinarian.