Q: I am a working mother of a four and a half years old boy studying in a school where there is enough freedom for him to work with. The teacher says that he is very intelligent and grasps the concepts very quickly but he is very lazy. Even to make him walk from one place to another, she has to push him to get the work done, while other children of the same age group run around. He seems to be thinking about something or the other always. Sometimes we have to repeat things more than 10 times and remind him what he has to do like brushing, eating, writing, etc. He seems to be in his own world. What could be the reason for his laziness? Please advise.

A:The child's behaviour does not sound like laziness, to me. Children can be dreamy for several reasons. Perhaps he is a genius and is working out square roots in his mind! Or he is composing music! Or he is thinking about what he will say when you come back from work. You will have to be patient and find out why his own inner world is more interesting than the world he is in. Also check out for what activities he does not need prodding or reminding. Have you had a full check up done recently? Is his hearing normal? Is he the right weight for his age? Does he get adequate sleep? Does someone read out stories to him? Perhaps he is thinking of the people in the stories. He could be shutting out an unpleasant experience and going into his dream world. It would be necessary for you to spend more of his playtime with him and let him talk to you in the course of the activity or game. Have a discussion with his teacher and ask her also for suggestions. Nothing happens without a reason. Locating the cause for the child's lack of attention will be your parenting task.