Very argumentative 12 year old boy

[Copasetic]

I've put this in teenagers although technically he isn't until later this year. DS is lovely, high achieving, excellent social skills, brilliantly behaved at school, very popular and in a circle of similar friends, has after school activities that involve a lot of discipline, good work ethic, team work etc and is in lots of ways very mature. Since starting secondary school he is very argumentative - always when asked to do something. Constantly arguing how he was just about to do it, why does it make any difference to me, I don't do it so why should he, I do it so why can't he etc etc. I can remember being quite argumentative at this age and my mum never rising to it (she is no longer alive to ask). How do I deal with an argumentative child without the situation escalating? How do other people do it?

Rather than escalation, what about just answering his questions but not using eg because I say and instead use different answers ?

I largely tune it out and carry on chivvying them with whatever my instruction was.

Humour, patience and gin help too.

Mine's 15 now. Would argue that black is white and still win the last word 🙄