War

As promised, my offensive against the parents has begun in earnest. I can only hope that putting my foot down now will help them in the future. When parents start acting like they're in control, it's just as bad for them as it is for everyone else. I just need to keep reminding myself of that. Though it may seem harsh in the moment, it's for their long-term good.

The key to restoring the proper order is to assert my dominance. I realize now that my former leniency emboldened them to take so many liberties. To that end, I have developed a simple yet effective strategy to reverse this course: No matter what the parents say, I respond with "No". Sometimes several in a row, if I feel the situation warrants it. I feel a bit cruel, using their own language against them, but they're the ones who drove me to it.

I expect the parents' full surrender in a matter of days. Long live the queen.