Lazy/unmotivated child

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  • rhondajennings68
    Participant

    My 9 yr old son continues to be lazy and unmotivated in school (and chores) unless it is something he wants to do.  No matter how many times I send him back to redo something, he always seems to give the very least.  As a parent, I find this frustrating. As a single parent, I find it sucks energy that I don’t really have.

    My son is very, very bright and is very capable.  Any suggestions and/or thoughts that I can use to encourage him?

    For example, I have to send him back in the bathroom every single time he brushes his teeth to re-brush them. Sometimes I feel like telling him he can just let his teeth rot out!  He has been diagnosed on more than one occasion as ADHD. He isn’t on medication (I have tried but gotten terrible results) so we just deal with his distraction and hyperactivity in various ways (no artificial colors, dyes, lots of outdoor time, keeping things simple, etc)

     

    Karen Smith
    Moderator

    There are several article series in our Learning Library that explain habit training.

    Here are two that may be helpful for your situation:

    A Parent’s Business series helps you understand your parental role in teaching your child good habits and transitioning him to be responsible for continuing the habits after they are taught.

    The Way of the Will series helps you to understand how to help your child strengthen his will so that he chooses to do what is right.

    Monica
    Participant

    Just here to commiserate.  My son who just turned 11 is very unmotivated, too.  He does the least amount possible to get by.  Next year I’m enrolling him in a class online so that he will have another “teacher” to answer to.

    Melanie32
    Participant

    Hi Rhonda!

    The only way to teach children good habits is to do it with them and encourage them as they go until they form those good habits. Forming new habits is hard! I know it’s very difficult for me, much less my child. They need lots of hand holding and pleasant reminders along with plenty of praise when they do something right. It takes time and persistence but it is so worth it in the end! 🙂

    Blessings,

    Melanie

    rhondajennings68
    Participant

    Thanks for the feedback

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