Gina had been fed up with the kids' attitudes for quite awhile before breaking out the picket sign.
They didn't help with chores and complained when they did. And they never thanked Gina for all she did while still working as a waitress...
The final straw, Gina remembers, is Kym making the comment "You don't do anything anyway."
"Oh yeah?" Gina thought. "I'll show you me not doing anything." She made a "Mother on Strike" sign, slipped a "I'm for Mom" sign around the family dog's neck and met the school bus to lay down the new ground rules.
Shawn, Tracee and Kym were on their own.
If they wanted food, they had to cook it.
If they wanted clean clothes, Gina pointed them to the washer machine.
And -- perhaps worst of all for a teenager -- they had to ride the dreaded bus to school. Gina's days of taxi driver were over.
They lasted 18 days. That was 20 years ago, and the kids have their own kids now, and it sounds like they learned their lesson. I wish this story had been out for Mother's Day.
In fairness, I have to mention that although I do have trouble getting our kids to do household chores, they're all excellent about taking care of their little siblings. That makes up for a lot; those two are a handful. I think they'll all do pretty well when it's their turn.
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