Please tell me how this 8-year-old is clever enough to get you to serve him cereal! I would love to use that method to get my husband to serve me food! Ha!

But, seriously, what happens if you don't serve him the cereal? When he asks, could you say, "It's in the cabinet; milk in the fridge"? He's not gonna sit there and starve when there's food in the cabinet.

He's a kid. He's new to your household. He's going to test the boundaries to see how much he can bend you to his will. You cannot wait on him or he will see you as his slave and have no respect for you. You are the primary caregiver because of your husband's hours. You have to set the tone and rules. A little in his defense, if no one tells him to do anything, he won't.

The kid should have a regular list of responsibilities. Taking trash bins in and out, setting the table...whatever. If he gives you any lip, just tell him, "We all live here, we all work to make it a nice place. That's what families do."

Maybe you're uncomfortable telling him what to do, and I get that. Maybe you just hate that it's taking so long for him to do for himself. I get that too. I don't know what I would have done with a little stepkid. But you're bigger, smarter, older and his dad isn't there, so what's he gonna do?