Haha, didn't mean to come off so negative. We do say positive things--but when a child insists that you don't know what you're talking about so she's leaving, you are sorely tempted to let her see how that works out!
Yeah, I figured there's a lot more nuance going on, which is why I used the word "presents" there.
We've solved a couple of those problems you mentioned differently. DD's allowance isn't tied to chores, but if we have to clean up after her, her stuff ends up in the garage for a lot longer... think a week or two. Whining costs her a dollar. DW tortures her over it, too: "Are you whining? Because we're going on a trip soon and I could use the extra money."
