10 yo DS who won't listen and do!

[carocaro]

I have just had to stand over his X-Box with a hammer to force him to get dressed. I threatened to smash it to bits unless he got dressed as we are going out.

I asked him 15 times to get dressed, he thinks it's all a joke and really funny, hence the hammer coming out as it was the only thing that got him to get dressed! I flipped, but it worked, why it should come to this I have no idea.

It's all the simple stuff we battle over, all the no brainer stuff, face, teeth, get dressed, put shoes on, tie laces, etc etc etc.

I have a headache. Help. It's half term next week.

I know this is easy to say, and I was head to head with both my kids (one of each so its not a gender issue) BUT if possible, during a quite neutral time, get him to talk about how HE sees the situation. What his ideal life would be, then explain why staying in bed all day, not washing ever and only eating chips etc would lead to being smelly and all that stuff.. trouble is being 10 these days is the equivilent to being 16 in old money! Peer pressure and imagined life styles of others has a lot to answer for. If its any consolation I get on well with mine now they have grown up and live away!!