Q: My son is 5 years old. He is in kindergarten and is very smart. He does well with his schoolwork as long as he is secluded from other children. He has a problem with talking too much and not staying at his seat. He is very sensitive and gets hurt very easily. He is constantly worried that other children don't like him. He is constantly getting in trouble for talking too much or not staying at his seat and distracting the class. He can't control him self. We have put him in time out, with no TV or toys and made him sit quietly for lengths of time. We have spanked him and talked to his teacher and taken guidance from a counsellor. They didn't really suggest more than talking to his paediatrician. Can you suggest some thing that might help us? How can we change this behaviour?

A:Children are sometimes over-active and easily distracted. This condition does not normally require medication. What you should find out is - why he feels he is not liked by his friends and why he gets hurt easily? Spanking should be banned. It will certainly not help. You should not punish him severely for any reason. Let him play active games so that some of his energy is used. Restrict his TV watching. Avoid Cola drinks and packaged foods. These steps will help him.