Q: This is with reference to your programme THE SLOW DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD. I live in Chennai and have a son who is 9 years old studying in std. IV. He is very active when it comes to computer / video games, especially clips like batman, superman, spiderman etc. but he is very slow to grasp his lessons and finds it very difficult to remember them after learning with much difficulty. Is there some way out of this problem? In all other aspects he is a very loving child and very meticulous in his manners. Please help!

A:There is a real problem when computer games are intrinsically interesting and school lessons are tedious! However, you should persuade him to complete his work and then play computer games as a reward. Talk to him and convince him that he has to do school lessons in order to grow up and take a job. Find one or two of his classmates who are serious about their work to also talk to him. When he does some school work, praise him and make him feel good about it. Do not let him sit at the computer till he has done his homework. Get him to read story books, so that some of his fun comes from reading. Possibly some craft work, where he can make things with his own hands will also be good to introduce. Patience and affectionate but firm handling will reap long-term rewards.