I came home after a week-long trip to find my kids asleep on the hallway floor, dirty and exhausted. The house was a mess, and my husband? Nowhere to be found—until I heard video game sounds from the boys’ room.

There he was: Mark, in full gamer mode, surrounded by snacks, oblivious to everything.

When I confronted him, he shrugged it off—“The kids thought it was an adventure.” That’s when I snapped.

So, I treated him like the child he was acting like—chore charts, sippy cups, no screens after 9 p.m., bedtime stories, and even timeout corner.

After a week of this, he broke. Apologized. Promised to do better.

But just to seal the lesson, I called his mom. When she showed up furious, Mark turned into a sheepish little boy.

Lesson learned. Hopefully. If not, that timeout corner’s still ready.