Q: My 3-year-old son started going to school 2 months back. The teachers have been telling me that it is very difficult to get him to sit in one place. Also, it is difficult to make him do certain activities like painting, sticking, etc. He cannot sit still. How can this be handled? Is he hyperactive or his attention or interest in things is short lived? Please advise.

A:Many children, especially boys, like to move around and not sit in one place for long. Our preschool centres are not always equipped to handle such active children. He is not hyperactive, though the term is used by many to mean very active. Please note that all children are not exactly alike and at 3 years of age, all of them have a short attention span. The best thing for you to do would be to plan at least half an hour of vigorous activity for him. Let him do a lot of running around and jumping BEFORE he goes to school, so that he feels inclined to take part in the quieter activities that the school provides.