Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episodeTeens 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.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 anything at all!! Dr. Adam Price, author of He’s Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself, 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. 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. 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! In my interview with Dr. Price, we cover a broad range of topics, including:
Developmental differences in boys and girls—and how they disadvantage learning in teens
How to use the basic principles of motivational interviewing with teens
The Paradoxical Response
How to answer “When am I ever gonna need to know this??”
Deescalating parent/teen power struggles
I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Price and hear his advice on parenting teens! And I have to admit, I even saw a bit of my own teenage self in the concepts and stories we discussed...! This episode is must-listen for any parent with a “lazy” teen under their roof!