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Motivating Preteens

With so many distractions it's not an easy sell

By
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Originally published in Today's Parent April 2009

Another typical Sunday afternoon. Your 10-year-old son has spent much of the weekend playing games on his Wii or the family computer, and your attempts to get him to clean up his room and sweep the kitchen have been mostly met with “maybe later.” Now he’s stretched out on the couch in the family room watching TV with a couple of his friends.

“Have you done your homework?” you ask.

He rolls his eyes and clicks the remote — not to turn off the TV, but to change another channel.

What happened to the kid who was excited about starting school, enthusiastic about any activity you suggested and full of boundless energy? Why is it so hard to get him motivated now? He doesn’t want to do homework or household chores, practise piano or even play sports. He’s turning into a couch potato — at 10. And you know it’s not just your son because your friends with kids the same age have the same complaints.

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