I sympathise Lee-ann! My DD is almost 11 and is also lazy but that's normal. Good on your 9y.o though! What a star! You should heap lots of praise and hugs as affection has a lot of "currency" with children, more than they might let on and if your DD sees this she might adjust. In regards to the vagueness: the thing that sprung to my mind when i read your post was that it seems she might have something on her mind... something that's kinda consuming all her attention. Is she worried about something? Is she happy at school? Do you talk much? I know sometimes I grow a little distant from my DD and things get worse in terms of her co-operativeness. A sudden out-of-the-blue interrogation might not work but perhaps suggesting a shopping trip where you could chat about her friends for example could reveal something. Has her teacher ever mentioned an issue with concentration? Good Luck!