Even better is just "The trash needs to be taken out." It's better because it respects the person's agency.

Source: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk - https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/14516638...

As parents we wanted to be one of the better ones. A while back, we started with Bringing up Bébé, and since then learnt How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk; we were even Prepared while Reviving Ophelia. This year, we realized, we want to just settle on being A Good Enough Parent.

1. https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Up-Bébé-Discovers-Parenting/...

2. https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/14516638...

3. https://www.amazon.com/Prepared-What-Kids-Need-Fulfilled/dp/...

4. https://www.amazon.com/Reviving-Ophelia-Saving-Selves-Adoles...

5. https://brajeshwar.com/2022/books/

6. https://goodenoughparenting.com/

Excellent blog post!

And if anyone is looking for the book (like I was), this seems to be a more recent edition (with better availability):

https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/14516638...

Thank you everyone that offered advice and encouragement on this. Here's a few of the top resources that were shared for anyone else in a similar situation:

http://parenting.stackexchange.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Unconditional-Parenting-Moving-Reward...

https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/14516638...

https://www.amazon.com/Highly-Sensitive-Child-Children-Overw...

https://www.amazon.com/No-Drama-Discipline-Whole-Brain-Nurtu...

https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Brain-Child-Revolutionary-Strat...

https://www.amazon.com/Explosive-Child-Understanding-Frustra...

https://www.amazon.com/Simplicity-Parenting-Extraordinary-Ca...

https://www.amazon.com/1-2-3-Magic-Effective-Discipline-Chil...

Get this book: http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/145166388... Absolutely invaluable.