The stereotype of the lazy teen is prevalent in the media and you may even be seeing it in your own home. It’s not uncommon for teens to have a hard time getting out of bed for school, get started on a school project well before its due, or put off doing chores until you have to yell. But there are some things you can do when it comes to encouraging your lazy teen that will help them take responsibility and get things done in a timely manner.

Tip #1. Plenty of Sleep

Teens are the age group with the highest amount of sleep deprivation. The body and brain undergo massive changes during adolescence, and experts recommend that teens get 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation in teens can affect their energy levels and their ability to stay active during the day, while boosting moodiness and emotional outbursts. Some studies even show that sleep deprived teens suffer from poor concentration and focus, which leads to a drop in schoolwork. Lack of sleep can impact your teen’s creativity and enthusiasm for engaging in hobbies, with friends and more. To help your teen overcome what appears to be laziness, make sure he or she is getting enough sleep every week.

Tip #2. Clear Expectations

Teens really need structure in their lives, and setting clear expectations about what their responsibilities are can help them to make the right choices. However, teens hate being told what to do and if the consequences aren’t consistent, they may try to gamble that the punishment won’t be so bad or that you will forget. Make the expectations of the job clear, as well as what will happen if the job is not done. This can work on everything from schoolwork to chores. This gives teens a window to do the task with a final deadline. It also gives you a clear consequence that you can enforce without emotion or surprises.

Tip #3. Allow for Failure

Many parents are so worried about their teen failing and messing up their lives forever that they end up swooping in and rescuing their child at the slightest hint of trouble. However, allowing teens to experience the consequences of failure can be a powerful motivator. When a teen feels the anxiety, discomfort and embarrassment that comes with failing at something, it can change the way they approach a future task. While parents shouldn’t let their children fail at things with long-term consequences or that will cause harm, there are plenty of situations where you can fight your instincts and let them fail.

When you can teach your teen to get self motivated and take pride in a job well done, there are some times when your teen just has to learn for themselves that laziness has undesirable consequences and it won’t take long before they learn that doing something right the first time and on time really means more time for themselves down the road.

What are some of the ways that you’ve helped your teenager overcome laziness?