A phrase often heard in our household when I was a kid was directed at the whole family, I guess.  I had two sisters and we were given tasks to do.  Anyway, my younger sister and I were given tasks to do.  My older sister for some reason was exempt from this activity. It seems when responsibilities are given to children in households there are a lot of arguments and reasons not to participate.  Well, my dad thought he had the answer to solve this problem.  You see he would threaten all of us that “he was going to sell our house, we would have to live in an apartment, and he would have to stand on a corner selling pencils and shoe laces.  This also came in handy to complain when he didn’t make a sale, as he was a salesman, and we would feel sorry for him.