[McheleM]

I am a skin mom of a 20 yr old, an 18 yr old and a 15 yr old. I have rules and understandings at my house, and for some reason lately it's like nothing matters.....
Case in point. My 15 yr old likes to take it upon himself to do things. (IE put together a book shelf, try to change the oil in the lawnmower, etc) He has been told on numerous occasions that we don't want him to do these things and to please not do them- and the main reason is because he refuses to read instructions or do things correctly and whatever it is ends up messed up, broke, etc. We require him to take out the trash (which he doesn't do) and keep his room clean (which he doesn't do) and keep his laundry washed, dried and put up (which he doesn't do). I got up yesterday and he was trying to put together a book shelf I bought to make an armoire for the dogs. The reason I got up is because it sounded like he dropped it. I asked what he was doing and he told me putting this together, and of course looks at me like I'm an idiot for asking. I explained that the bookshelf/armoire was my project and that I planned to do it myself and I didn't want him to put it together.
My husband told me last night that he did in fact drop one of the panels and that it actually broke. It's one of those pressed wood shelves, but he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, he didn't even have the instructions or screws out, and I am now out a bookshelf. My kitchen is a mess because I pulled out all the dogs stuff and started rearranging it to put their new armoire and now I don't have one to put their stuff in.
I could take it back to target and exchange it but I feel horrible telling the, it's broke, knowing HE broke it. I feel like that's stealing from them, and also feel like theres no repercussions for him if I do that. I can wait on him to come up with the 70.00 the shelf cost me and go by another one, but I really don't want to wait because I doubt he'll come up with the money and the dogs will be at rainbow bridge from old age before I ever got the armoire built.

What would you do? I need suggestions and an outside perspective. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. I know he was just trying to help, but he's been asked not to on several ocassions. I am an OCD type person, so obviously the clutter in the kitchen is driving me nuts right now-i was thinking of making him rearrange all their stuff and put it away for now, but that just doesn't seem severe enough, if that makes sense.

Ugh!! Being a parent is hard!!