Q: My 7-year-old son is a single child. Both my husband and me are working. My husband has to stay away as he works offshore but visits after a period of time. My son is above average in intelligence, as I can observe from his grades. He has hereditary asthma. Initially he missed a lot of school and was over parented as his asthma triggers in the morning and the evening cool breeze. He always keeps to himself and avoids mixing with new children. He wants to stick to old friends and avoids trying new things. He says a no to any new suggestion. He is always scared to ask something in the class and remains a backbencher. He does not enjoy playing outdoor games and is slow in playing such games. When he studies his mind is always occupied with some thing or the other, may be a story, a mischief some boy might have played etc. He is a fantastic storyteller and loves reading and listening to stories. He has a fantastic vocabulary for his age. I often shout at him for lack of concentration while solving math sums. If I speak to him and explain things, he understands, but after a few days he becomes the same. How can I develop his attitude and increase his boldness? How can I increase his interest in math and taking on new projects?

A:From the information that you have given about the your son, the first thing that I would like to recommend is that you must show him to a professional to rule out any kid of mental health related issues. Also try and find out if there are any stressors, which he is finding difficult to deal with. These stressors can be related to academics, peer group, family and so on. Build a good relationship with your child and help him ventilate his emotions. Feeling is healing, and talking about feelings can be therapeutic. Focus on his areas of interest and try and get him involved in these activities both to engage him and to develop his interest further, which will also help elevate his confidence level. And above all, make him feel that you are there, that you love and care for him and want to hear what he has to say, even if it isn't pleasant.