Think CAVEMAN.

So Micah had a VERY whiny, lazy, moment yesterday when he didn't want to help clean up after playing for oh...six consecutive hours.  I felt resentful and angry when he went into "whine mode" when I asked him to actually do some work.  I found myself giving a very lengthy and emotional talk about how I need to eradicate laziness from my firstborn so that one day he could grow up and be a young man who has a good work ethic. 

Somehow when I got that glazed, seven-mile stare, I realized one of the epiphanies about raising boys.

One thing my little men don't have is thousands of emotional states, as I do and as little girls do.  My boys tend to feel one of three emotions: mad, sad, happy.   I'm learning quite quickly not to project my complex emotional life on my son. His issue of the moment might not be that complicated.  He wants to eat, poop, or run.  On a really bad day he wants his toy back after some other kid took it from him. He doesn’t want to stare out the window and have lengthy discussions about the meaning of life.

Instead of a lecture demanding behavioral change, I shifted quickly to:
"Micah, is lazy good? Yes or no?"
"No."
"Okay, don't do it again."
"Okay."
"Now clean up.  Go."
(and he did it!  With fervor and even asked, "Mom, what do you want me to do next??")

 Mission Accomplished.  Laziness eradicated.  For this week. :)