Rule of 3

I’m beginning to think I might be misapplying the Teaching Self-Government (TSG) principles, especially the Rule of Three. It doesn’t seem effective; situations escalate quickly, and my son refuses to accept any consequences or do his chores during these times. Both my mother and mother-in-law keep insisting that TSG isn’t working and that I should consider other approaches. While I’ve managed to stay calm, which I see as a victory, my son remains agitated, and my family thinks I’m handling it wrong. They believe I should resort to spanking him, but I’m reluctant to go down that path.

I’m genuinely at a loss because it feels like nothing is working. My son seems indifferent to any consequences. He even told my mother-in-law that he’d rather commit suicide than worry about adult responsibilities. When I calmly explained the consequences of his actions, he threatened to call the police, hoping Child Protective Services would take him away so he wouldn’t have to be 'a slave' anymore. After 60 days of daily outbursts and his constant refusal to stay calm, enforcing consequences feels ineffective and exhausting.