NC for this. I have 3 dc aged 13, 11 and 4. I'm a single parent and shielding. We haven't been beyond our home boundary in 11 weeks. I am doing a college course and trying my best to hone school the younger ones. Eldest gets work set online and usually just gets on with it.
Their attitudes are awful and today I am wishing the 13 and 11 year old did t live with me and feel awful for feeling like that. I've just had enough of being treated like shit.
Today I asked dds to bring the hoover down so I could hoover downstairs. I got told "do it yourself." This is after them promising yesterday that they'd stop all the horribleness. Yesterday they were supposed to tidy their room (dd2) and clear one of the landings (dd1). They didn't do I said they'd have to do it today. They've said a flat out "no, why should I."
Their tablets have been taken off them, no tv. They don't care. There are a little else I can do. It's almost as though they are trying to goad me into smacking them.
Last week I told them due to the disrespect and attitude, making a mess and refusing to clear it up, dumping the clothes I'd washed and dried and folded for them on the floor then just putting them back in the wash basket instead of putting them away , that I would no longer do their washing or make their meals until they improved. They are quite capable of doing both. They accused me of denying them food and said they'd be contacting social services.
They do not see their dad due to abuse. They've not seen him since Christmas and it's going through court but of course everything is delayed at the moment.
Ds does not see his dad either but for different reasons.
When I have ds on his own he is mainly lovely. When with his sisters all hell breaks loose. Bickering, physical fighting, screaming, they are awful to him and he just plays up all the more and gives as good as he gets.
I am exhausted by the constant disobedience, arguing, rudeness and the way they treat me and their brother and the affect they have on his behaviour. They all love each other and have times when I think I've imagined the horribleness because they play so nicely together.
I've tried a reward jar, rewards in general, sticker things, taking things off them, reasoning. They don't give a shit.
I recently did house rules with them and how screen time would work from then on. Nope.
I don't know what else to try and it's affecting my mental health now. I'm exhausted by it all.
Domestic abuse services have ended their involvement because there are other families in greater need at the moment. I get that but I feel abandoned and very lonely trying to be a decent mum and my children telling me several times a day how crap I am.