I agree with CptNoonie- I am 20yrs old right now, so it wasn't long ago at all, I was a teenager, hehe.
My dad got together with my stepmom when I was about 10 or 11. The first few years were tough, she was totally different than my mom, they did things a different way, etc. I can remember trying to be 'mature' and help out... I'd do the dishes, and then she'd go in there re-arranging them fixing everything. I'd put the dishes away, she'd take them all out and put them back in another way. If I even used the toaster oven to make something for myself, she would inform me I was doing it the wrong way. Eventually I just gave up and didn't do anything, so then they were mad because I wasn't doing chores. I felt like I couldn't win. Maybe your son is feeling sort of like this? He's trying to do good but he always seems to mess it up... he sounds like a pretty good kid, at least he's trying to help, so I wouldn't be too rough on him.
I agree on doing some kind of a project together. Or maybe just say "hey if you do your laundry real quick, do you wanna build *such and such* together after?" or something... |