Q: My son has recently began tattling on himself. He tells of every thought, every action, even if minor and gets visibly stressed if he cant tell. He seems to over think his every behaviour and thought and turns it into something negative. He is a wonderful loving student and very active in sports. He is 8 1/2 years old.

A:I am not sure of the nature of the parents concern in this letter. If the eight year old is loving, a good student and active in sports, that is a matter for celebration! He probably feels that he gets the full attention of the parents only when he talks of himself. If the parents feel that he seems to be overdoing it, the topic of discussion can be shifted, to something he read or saw on TV or to his friends. When children are with their peers, their age-mates, class-mates, the tendency to talk of oneself will get automatically checked. Perhaps he needs to have some more activities with other children. He should also be encouraged to listen to other people talking and begin to see things from many perspectives. All of this should be gradual and with a light touch and a sense of humour.