DEAR ABBY: Our 13-year-old is addicted to her phone. She stays on it for hours, and it's affecting the time she goes to bed. She's now starting to oversleep the alarm in the morning before school.
She's spoiled, and I'm afraid that removing or limiting phone privileges will lead to major problems with her protesting it. I don't want truant officers or social workers coming to my house because my wife and I can't discipline our kid.
How do you handle a spoiled brat without involving outside agencies? She's nice to people in school, but is lazy at home and totally self-centered. -- FRUSTRATED, EXHAUSTED DAD
DEAR DAD: You and your wife created this "monster," and now it's your job to make things right. Of course your daughter won't like it when you set rules, but you must establish some for her before your lack of parenting causes even more serious problems.
Set the rules and stick with them. If she won't follow them, there should be penalties for not doing so. Try this: Start with homework. When it's done, she can have her phone for a period of time. Inform her that if she oversleeps because she was up too late on her phone, you will take it at bedtime. And then follow through.