"Work is boring..."

First day back to school after Christmas break. My daughter put on a onesie, didn't eat breakfast, just kind of grumbled, "Can we get started?" My son got up, moped about--although he did get himself dressed without my asking--and once I started talking to him about the things I wanted him to work on, he was clearly grumpy. I grabbed him and asked him if he was Mr. Grumpypants today. He said no, it's just that work is boring.

*sigh*

I am reminding myself that Maria Montessori said that ages 12-15 should be doing hands-on, meaningful work for society. That academics needed to be pushed aside a bit. Our society doesn't really allow this. I even get comments from my husband about how he's worried about our son's future and he doesn't really see what progress our son is making.

I sometimes wish I could shake society into sense a bit.

At the same time, part of me says there should be a way for us to engage in projects or some other form of activities that would produce something--to please my husband and society at large--and still help my son grow in whichever way he's needing to grow right now. All he wants to do is play video games, watch videos on YouTube about video games and play guitar. And play video games with his cousins.

Now that the work has actually begun, the mental shift required today has occurred a bit and the mood is not so down. But... but... I'm still wondering what we can change, what simple thing we can change, that is in line with their development and enjoyable so that learning is seen as enjoyable and not a chore.

What do you do--Montessori or not--so that your teen children have a love of learning and don't greet each day with the grumble of "Work is boring"? Or if you are experiencing the same thing and don't know what to do, share! :)