I have things I need to do.

My son has a love-hate relationship with his alarm clock.  He loves to push the snooze button and turn his alarm off.  He hates to get out of bed.  My husband has written about this situation, The Alarm Clock Paradox.

Although my son is homeschooled, we do expect him to get up at some point in the morning to start his work during a school week.  Ideally, we would like to see him start working between 9:00-9:30.  Ideally, he would love to sleep until whatever time he feels like waking up and work when it is convenient for him. I wouldn't have an issue with this except.....

There are 2 problems.

1. The first problem is related to his ADD.  Because he takes a split dosage of medication, he needs to get up at a reasonable time to have his initial dosage so he can take the second dosage in the early afternoon (1:00-2:00).  If he takes the second dosage later in the afternoon, it can impact his sleep which perpetuates him wanting to stay up late and sleep until he feels like getting out of bed.  There have been times he has gotten up really late and thought he could skip his second dosage (NO!).  
2. The second problem with his ideal world of sleeping in and doing his work whenever he feels like getting around to it is that, between his ADD and his CP, working late into the night isn't productive or efficient for him.

He is currently on a 2 week Spring Break.  I have a couple of tasks I would like him to complete this week, but it isn't anything too difficult.  In fact, it is work that he will enjoy - a history project and German.  I assumed he would get up a little later than a school day (9:00ish), take his medicine, lounge around, and work on these tasks a little bit before enjoying his break doing whatever.  

You know what happens when you assume!

He has gotten up earlier this week than he does during a school week.  When I brought this to his attention, he just laughed.  I asked him why he was getting up so early when he could sleep in.

"I have things I need to do."

Really?  Because during a school week, you don't have things to do?  

These are things I like to do.

There we have it.  The motivation needed to get a teen out of bed.

I will be on the couch with chocolate (my motivation for getting out of bed) trying to figure out my teenager who is an enigma.