[CelticJourney]

I'm going to agree some of the above - might be academic reasons or physical - with the additions of a BUT. Some things you do have to casually speak from power (ie, state what is going to happen nicely)

For example 'we didn't have to do that last week' might get a 'yap, but we are doing it this week' and just keep moving forward. The 'they aren't babies' might be 'I didn't say to get it for them if they couldn't. I asked you to do something and expect you follow through'.

And on the other hand, I think you might need to give him the power to have some control. Maybe write a list of academic things that need to get done and let him chose the order or break up tasks into smaller tasks, but all completed in the day.

I also think you are on to something re privileges and frequency. I dragged myself out of bed this morning at 6am to go into work not because I love what I do (which I am kinda do) but because I am getting paid. We tell our kids to thing of school as their work, but I know I wouldn't get up so early, drive into town, etc, etc if there wasn't a tangible benefit at the end of the process.

One thing to look at is 'what is he doing when he isn't doing school?' Is he vegging or is there a passion for something else that might be useful in motivating school and possible to incorporate into lessons?