You can lead a horse to water ...

In an effort to be respectful of my children's privacy I have not posted much because, well, the prevailing theme in my life is a child who suffers from a severe lack of what, in this house, we call "Give a damn."

He (and obviously, since all of my children are of the male variety that gives nothing away) just doesn't care about school, sees no reason to complete assignments, thinks that his parental units (but in particular ME) are unreasonable, stupid, and annoying, and he refuses to live by the (very few and pretty reasonable) rules and requests that I have for him. Namely, to not eat or drink in his room and definitely not to leave dirty dishes or containers from said eating or drinking in his room and to keep laundry and dirty towels in the laundry or on towel racks rather than on the floor of his room or the bathroom that is primarily used by him.

He is disrespectful. He is rude. He is sullen.

This is it. I don't know what to do anymore, because I can (and have) taken away everything in his life -- activities, phone, internet, video games ...

I am at my wits' end and I don't know if I am posting this to get advice or sympathy or just to get it out of my head and put it somewhere else.

I have to say that I find it interesting that as I try to be respectful, he demonstrates an appalling lack of respect for me Every. Single. Day.

And frankly, I am sick and tired of acting like a dog that repeatedly gets kicked by its owner only to come back because maybe this time he won't kick me.