Getting frustrated. I was raised that you work with your hands and help maintain your home without being asked. My boy acts like yard work is beneath him. I've tried explaining that a man takes care of what he's responsible for but he just rolls his eyes. Not sure how to get through to him. Where do I draw the line between being firm and being unfair?
My kids are the same way. I found that the problem wasn't really the yard work itself, it was that I wasn't making it appealing. Started letting my son pick the music, made it a competition sometimes, and suddenly he's actually out there helping. Still not every weekend, but it's progress.
Might be worth sitting down and explaining the why behind it rather than just the expectation. Sometimes teenagers just need to understand that this isn't about making them miserable, it's about teaching them responsibility.
This hits home man. I think the difference is our generation actually had chores as a non-negotiable. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get my 8yo to see that helping maintain the house isn't punishment, it's just part of being in a family. Tough balance between being firm and not turning him completely against it.
I get the frustration but remember his brain is literally still developing the part that understands long-term consequences. At that age, yard work feels pointless to them. Make it a challenge or a game somehow? My oldest responds better when there's actual stakes involved.
Real talk - unplugging him from whatever's in that room first might be the actual issue here. Screen time can make everything else feel boring by comparison. Not saying that's definitely it but worth considering before assuming it's pure laziness.
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My daughter's the same way sometimes but I found that instead of demanding help, I'd ask her to come out and help me with ONE specific thing. Like just trim this section of hedge with me. Once she's out there, the momentum usually shifts.