dial the phone, give it to them and tell them you're waiting so go ahead. they can call child protective services all they want but cps can only come see if there are any signs of abuse. call their bluff. they're just trying to play you.

Welcome to Liberalism. Where the house is ruled by children.

I think I would go to their school counselor and explain their attempt at blackmail. I would then write a letter explaining it to your husband and tell him to leave it unopened until you tell him to read it. Then I would call their bluff and explain that if they don't start behaving that you will call CPS yourself, explaining that you can no longer control them and that CPS will come and escort them to a juvenile facility for a bit until they can find foster parents. As a piece de resistance explain that you and your husband will take the money you save and put a hot tub and media room in where they sleep and take a cruise with the money you will save.

Give them the number to social services. My mother did that to us (we were even a foster home for other kids!)

No joke, this sorta happened to me! My son got in trouble at school and to get out of it he said he was suicidal. He had gotten in trouble in school for saying 'I'll kill you', to another kid... They (kids) find out about this stuff from other kids in school! They learn what to say and how to say it the crafty little buggers. My son, of course, had to talk to a bevy of counselors and even CPS. It all winded up being that he wanted to move back to his slacker tramp of a mom's, who doesn't make him do his school work when he doesn't feel like it. I let him go, I'm not going to risk my career and my pending retirement to appease a 14 year old. He even told CPS and the counselors that 'the physical punishment is to much'. I don't touch him, but I make him do physical exercises like push ups and hold a book above his head for discipline infractions. He knew that they would assume he meant beatings! Of course he had no proof of any corporal punishments, but It sucks!

Future politicians right there.

Get rid of the wifi and the cell phones and let them suffer without it. no technology for them at all whatsoever and when CPS shows up because your kids decided to say you hurt them graciously let them in to your home and investigate the abuse allegations. Tell them what your kids have said and they will get grilled so hard by them about the abuse that eventually they will crack. But request it be done outside of your home, preferably at a police station in an interrogation room and treat them like criminals. If they want to make false claims then let them be treated like criminals. A nice little scare tactic. And then get some counseling for those stupid little brats so you don't end up whooping their asses.

your response to them should be, "Ah perfect then you can both get jobs, pay rent, buy your own clothes and food, because dad and I are finally going to take a vacation."

you didn't give them their proper spankings growing up.

I would ground them for a really long time and take all thier stuff away just for that and if they do call on you tell the agency what they said and ground them more.