It sounds like you've got a good guess there, Zen, with the boredom. There's a reason rural teenagers statistically do more drugs, drinking, and sexing than their urban counterparts. I hope your friend can figure something out.

Juliebird, I think your frustration is valid. What happens if you sit down with your parents (not in the middle of a crisis or a fight) and lay that out for them? It often seems like parents tend to the Troubled Child and the other kid(s) get the shaft.

and it doubly sucks for those that do pick up poop, because you're constantly getting dirty looks for having a dog.

I always feel like I get approving looks for picking up poops. That could just be projection/wishful thinking on my part, though.

I think what she meant is that the non poop pickers make the poop pickers look bad - not that anyone is actively getting dirty looks when we pick up poop.

I remember walking around my gramps old neighborhood and the whole place smelled of dogshit. It took me a bit to realize that it wasn't unpicked-up-poop, but the pear trees.

I think what she meant is that the non poop pickers make the poop pickers look bad - not that anyone is actively getting dirty looks when we pick up poop.

Oh, duh. I totally read that wrong, and wondered what kind of neighborhood SA is living in! Yeah, your way makes MUCH more sense! Kato approves.

Unrelatedly: TWO WEEKS of flossing! In a row!

Apparently all I needed to do was move it to daytime, when I am not tired and extra-lazy. Hello, adulthood.

It often seems like parents tend to the Troubled Child and the other kid(s) get the shaft.

My BFF and I have been known to commiserate over being The Good One(TM).

If it makes you feel any better, Epic, I'm an only kid who got the shaft! :)

I sometimes feel that my role in life is to be dusted and taken off the shelf once in a while to show off, while my older brother, even now facing possible jail time once again, mum finds anecdotes to relate about him with pride about him cooking dinner or helping out around the house.

He's only there because his life is over!

Did I mention that they're going to throw a grand larceny charge at him? Again.

And, yeah, getting the shaft. Sometimes I feel bad about that when I'm dealing with my special needs volunteers. Those who do the job without further prompting or correcting I tend to ignore because I'm constantly on top of the ones with attitudes and difficulties. And they need that attention (the extra troubled ones), but I feel like I'm also neglecting the ones who are doing things right. I make sure to thank them specifically for a job well done, and I'm grateful for them, but I also wish I had the freedom to work alongside them and engage in conversation, because I know they are capable of continuing to work diligently doing so.

Or it's like when I was in the army, and learned quickly that doing your job efficiently and ahead of time meant that you were rewarded, not with a chance to eat your breakfast, but with picking up the slack of everyone else.

Now I'm wondering if it's legal to ship underaged kids off to bootcamp. You have to be over 18 to sign up without your parents permission, surely under 18 they can be signed up with their parents permission and without the childs...

I'm so sorry for the frustrating and difficult situation, Zen.

I always feel like I get approving looks for picking up poops.

People have explicitly thanked me when they see me picking up after Walter. OTOH, I have gotten dirty looks from people (people who did not live in my neighborhood, btw, because people who lived near me saw me picking up!) while walking him. The mileage, it is not consistent.

Go Team Flossing!