Known consequences, safely but unfailingly carried out, is one cardinal rule.

And here's one that no-one seems to have mentioned. The best boost to morale, attitude, what have you, you can get in a young human is to coax, steer, coerce or trick them into producing somerthing valuable -- whether it is washed dishes, turned broomsticks, or painted fences.. There is nothing for self esteem anywhere near the sense of having turned out an admirable result of some kind, and it cures the worst woolies, especially if it is admired. Paid for is fpne, too, but I think the admiration for performance will mean more to a teen boy than the money, other opinions notwithstanding. But it has to be geneuine. (Both the production and the admiration).

Finally, I suggest you consult with Spaw who has juggled more bad apples into passable shape than anyone else I know.

A