A couple of weeks ago, I came home to find my 14-year-old son yelling at his mom, which was new behavior for him. He was upset that dinner wasn’t ready after sports practice, even though my wife was at the stove cooking and just running late. I spoke to him, told him to apologize, and suggested he have a snack if hungry. When he refused, I decided on a different approach.

The next week, while my wife was on a work trip, I assigned him all her chores for a week—cooking, laundry, and helping his little brother with homework—while I handled the rest. He protested, saying it wasn’t fair due to school, but I reminded him that his mom and I manage our jobs and chores. I showed him how to do laundry, gave him a simple cookbook, and wished him luck. Despite complaints, overcooked pasta, and laundry mix-ups, he managed. By the end, I didn’t push for an apology, but he did so when his mom returned. Since then, he appreciates housework more and hasn’t been rude. In fact, he’s started helping out. Was this too harsh? His grandma thinks so, but I believe it helped him.