When ever Kendall (the 4 year old I tend) doesn't want to do something, such as clean up after herself, she always says "I can't!". We then have this conversation about how she can do (what ever), she just doesn't want to do (what ever). "Remember, your Super Girl!", I say. "You can do anything you want, you just need to find away."
Quite frequently my own children will come up with a ton of excuses on why they didn't do something they should have done, or why they did something they shouldn't have. Their excuses drive me crazy sometimes! I now realize: that's what I must have sounded like when I was younger.
I remember being teased by my family for always having an excuse for everything. "Excuses, excuses, excuses!" they'd say all the time. Looking back, I now realize that semantics was also my issue. What I thought meant "excuses are worthless" really meant "quit always looking for an excuse for everything".
Now that I understand, I see how the types of excuses a person gives shows where his/her priorities lie, as well as how hard that individual is willing to work to overcome any obstacles in his/her way. So now, when ever an excuse comes to mind, I have to figure out what my real issue is: A) Am I too lazy to do it? or B) Why is this particular thing so low on my priority list? By looking into it that way, I not only learn a lot about true self, but am better able to tell when I need an attitude adjustment. You should try it sometime, it really works.
