Schedule conflicts will inevitably interfere with your child's chores. Avoid the pitfall of letting him beg to be excused with vague promises to do his work later. Follow the work-before-pleasure policy if you can. Otherwise, tell him he needs to come up with a plan for making up the missed work, perhaps adding in a penalty, and hold him to it. At some point, you'll undoubtedly benefit from getting some real help around the house. In the meantime, you'll know that all the time you put in supervising and monitoring is a loving gift. Who knows? Someday your child may even appreciate it.