Is this the hill to die on?

I’m raising a preteen middle-schooler, and so I say this to myself at least twice a day as we negotiate, yes negotiate, time management, homework, sports, lessons, chores and video-gaming. I have clear values and principles and some concrete skills I want this kid to have in life. And all of these seem to be at stake in these afterschool (and before-school) interactions. But they aren’t. Most times, whatever we are talking about is nothigh stakes. And by the next w...