[JP_1163]

If you wait until your children are 17 and 12 to teach them responsibility and the only means you have at your disposal is to walk out on them and live in the front yard then you have failed as an adult and as a parent. Children model what they see in the world around them. Obviously if cleanliness, orderliness and ethical behavior are deemed important in the makeup of a child then it is important that the parents model the same behavior themselves. What they are now teaching their children is that when faced with adversity or difficulty in life the easiest thing to do is walk away, pout, sulk and roast marshmallows on the front lawn. Good coping skills are not evident in anyone in this situation. What I'd suggest is a meeting with the parents and the children where expectations are explained, consequences are discussed and a mutual sense of shared purpose is expected of all parties in the family. I suppose that everyone can learn something from this but all I'm picking up is that parenting 101 was obviously not on the curriculum in anyone's school system whether today or yesterday.