[TrudyM]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

perhaps one day he will design video games and other applications...if he is given encouragement rather than criticism.

Given his test scores are good then the prospect of designing video games might be an incentive. We pointed out that to my son that unless he got great grades in math and developed his logic skills he wouldn't make it in game design that it was very tough and competitve. Also pointed out that being an electrician or plumber is a good alternative. Watching work being done on the house he quickly decided he would rather study hard than do anything manual.
He started working on his Spanish when I pointed out that he didn't like it when his cousins talked about him in another language (Hawaiian) and he didn't know what they were saying and that 15% of people in the US speak Spanish.

What motivated me personally was trying to prove I wasn't stupid just because I had trouble with some things.(Dyslexia). The other thing that we were lucky with was that we moved when my son was in 7th grade and the kids in the new neighborhood all had strict parents who made them study, so it was more the norm.