.. to be seriously thinking about giving my 10yr old a lump of coal in his stocking?

[betterwhenthesunshines]

... and keeping his much longed for iPod for myself? He's done nothing but lump about the house, grumble if I ask him to do anything to help, pick fights with his sister, back chat me blah blah. Any time out / warnings he just shrugs, says sorry, but 30 mins later we're back to the same thing and I need some ideas that are going to hit him where it hurts (metaphorically, although I do feel like giving him a bl**dy great wallop [grumpy tired emotion] )

Any festive alternatives to a naughty step?

I had a big blow up with 10yo DD a few weeks ago. Don't want to say all that happened because it will bring out the Disapproval Brigade, but tbh, it worked. DD needed a huge shock to realise what a little horror she had become. I never had such sass from DC1.

DC3 is my difficult child this week, constant attention seeking & negative attention is better than none so frequent pestering & bothering us. I have found temporary respite in purchasing today... a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. It's completely absorbed him, I think I'll have to get another one tomorrow, to try to get us thru Boxing Day!

LordOfTheFlies I think Blackberries are a bit common actually. DS has one of those gold-plated keyhole phones with a concierge button. He will of course be getting an iPad 2 for Christmas tonhelp him with his flute for toots classes.

having raised two DDs - now 21 and 18 - i found the worst years were 11-14.
DS in now nearly 10 so am bracing myself.....

Thanks for comments - good to know they can all be stroppy to the point of madness. I decided to issue him with some tasks to help out this afternoon and that seemed to help - I think maybe I'd been too busy getting stuff done and 'ignoring' him. That would be just like a small child then

I had similar problems wit DD2 the last few weeks. So a trip to a local pub with a coal fire was in order to procure said lump of coal.

I sat the piece of coal on a square of wrapping paper and placed on her bedside cabinet. When she woke up she was told that it was a warning from Father Christmas and that she had better be good. That was last thursday and she has been making a real effort to be very very good.