must we not learn from (our mother's) mistakes?

poor beachboy is not having a great week (month, 6 months) by any stretch of the imagination ... and it is driving me batty! Mainly driving me batty because that poor child is living every mistake, screw-up, test and trial that I experienced at the same age. I don't really have a good way to let him know that "everything you are doing to get out of doing homework/being responsible/telling the truth/getting good grades, is just very simply NOT GOING TO WORK ... so you might as well just "hop-to", get your work done, and accept that you currently have no control over your life."

He is insisting on learning all of this the hard way, and frankly, it is starting to piss me off! Definitely not a good day around here today.