“I’m Lazy.” This excuse takes the cake. It is the most commonly said most likely because it is the most commonly heard by teens from parents and teachers.  Your teen knows you think this so they cut to the chase and say it for you.

But,

They’re not. Have you ever seen the enthusiasm and animation your teen uses to describe things they either enjoy or are good at? They can’t stop talking about it, reading about it and spewing all these random facts about it. It’s like, “Enough already! If you could do half this work for English you’d get an ‘A’.”  But English is well, boring.

Don’t accept lazy or any other excuse. Your teen has some reason they are not involved in school. They don’t realize that school is what they make it and not a one size fits all institution that must be conformed to. There is something they love waiting to be discovered and your teen is becoming discouraged while they wait. As the expression goes, “Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it.”

Give your teen the tools and inspiration to keep searching for the thing that inspires them. In the meantime, they should get to know the teacher who might explain H.W. that they didn’t really understand, discover an organizational skill to turn in and complete assignments promptly and consider an evaluation for ADHD or learning disabilities, or depression in the event that that is what has caused the difficulty.

Whatever you do, don’t take these excuses anymore.

Another Great Resource:

 Kantis Simmons Playing Your A Game – a great blog and resource for teen academic difficulty.

Related posts:

1. Is Your Teen Full Of Excuses?