Ep. 71: Laziness Ends Here

<p><a href="https://talkingtoteens.com/laziness-ends-here/">Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode</a></p><p><br>Teens face more pressure today than ever before. At times, it seems like a teenager’s only path to success comes from a rigorous schedule of academics, sports, community service, and a generally overwhelming amount of extracurricular activities. Such a routine builds tremendous stress in teens—and in their parents.</p><p><br>This can be alarming for parents whose teenagers are “lazy.” It’s no secret that what kids do in school every year counts toward their future opportunities.  In a society where young people are expected to be hyperactive achievers, parents with unmotivated teens worry their teens are doomed to fail - it’s like they don’t care about <em>anything</em> at all!! </p><p><br>Dr. Adam Price, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/38eVipV"><strong><em>He’s Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself</em></strong></a>, joined me for a discussion on how to kick your “lazy” teen into gear. As a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent males, Price has seen it all. </p><p><br>To Price, the rise of the “lazy” teen is a two fold problem. First, there is the enormous amount of pressure out on teens to always be above-and-beyond average. There are no longer “late bloomers,” instead, we have “underachievers.” Secondly, because parents are made to feel that the stakes are so high at every stage, they attempt to manage their teen by taking away the teen’s autonomy to make choices. </p><p><br>Everyone is inherently more motivated when they are interested in the task at hand, and when they feel they have chosen it. In our interview, Price explains how exactly to give your teen the autonomy they need, without removing accountability. Even Dr. Price knows teens shouldn’t be allowed to do whatever they want 24/7! </p><p><br>In my interview with Dr. Price, we cover a broad range of topics, including:</p><ul> <li>Developmental differences in boys a