Ann, five--no, two years--no, six MONTHS ago, I'd be doing the same. I figured out, though (finally), that they are so used to screaming and being in trouble, that they are immune to any discipline of that kind. So, I am trying to be reasonable and matter-of-fact. You want to to do that? Fine, here are the ramifications. Your choices, your consequences--good AND bad.
My sister buys their cigarettes and they only get so many from Friday to Friday. I refuse to. Smoked myself for about 18 years. Quit in 1993? '94? Somewhere in there, anyway. It isn't the smoking, per se, that I object to with these girls. It is the times they HAVE to smoke when they should be doing something for their kids. And the horrid expense of them nowadays. My sister simply doesn't have the money to keep this up. The girl is saying that she will pay for her own smokes and plans to pay her own phone bill, too, if/when she starts working. Going to hold her to that.
