He likes juices and lots of water. He is very active and fun to be with, but he just does not love food. Please, tell me what you think I could do. I do not allow him to snack a lot either.

A Please, go to your paediatrician immediately to determine if his weight is normal for his age and height. The paediatrician will make recommendations which will guide you on how to ensure that he has healthy meals. A nutritionist may also help with his eating habits. In the meanwhile, if, for example, he will not eat the vegetables in soup, you can blend the soup and have him drink it and all the nutrients will still be there. You can also make fruit juices with soy milk and vegetables and other types of food. Just blend it all to make it looklike a smoothie or ice cream. Just ensure that it has an attractive colour.

Q I saw your column recently and decided to gather some of your expert information on the subject of my nine-year-old son. In recent times, he has displayed some questionable behaviour around my girlfriend (not his biological mom) and my second son of six weeks old. He tends to be reserved and unresponsive to her while spending time with us (he lives with his grandparents by my side). However, whenever she is by his home, he talks and plays constantly with her. He also 'plays' with the baby, but is warned to avoid him (baby) unless supervised. He does otherwise and, as a result, we are a bit concerned whether he will harm the baby while nobody's looking. He will also completely deny moving or troubling the baby when questioned by my girlfriend. Kindly explain why he could be acting in this strange manner.

A Have you ever asked your son why his behaviour is different? His response should tell you a lot. I strongly recommend that you find some quiet time to be with your son and, in a calm and reassuring way, ask him about himself, school and friends and then about the varying situations you have concerns about. His behaviour may be attention seeking because of emotional neglect.

Also, what is happening at home with his grandparents? How are they guiding him with regard to how he should behave. Talk with him about these things. Ensure that values are consistent while around you and with his grandparents. If you feel he is not being open, I would encourage you to seek the services of a psychologist. In the meanwhile, continue to share with him in a calm way the dangers of handling his baby brother. There are many ways that you and your girlfriend can make your son feel comfortable around his brother. You can allow him to help in the bathing process by passing the items needed or by reading to the baby. Let him realise that there are ways that he can help other than by lifting his brother.

Q My son is nine years old. At age six years and six months, I had him assessed at Caribbean Education and Testing Services. It was a psychological/educational evaluation test and the results were varied. The results include:

The general cognitive level was low average/below average range.

Areas of strength include his non-verbal 'eye-hand' coordination or visual spatial and motor integration skills.

Early maths concept development also shows this potential as he sorted and counted material.

Verbal reasoning score falls in the slow learner range.

Weak comprehension and poor verbal expression were displayed.

Loss of concentration was another weakening factor.

Sequencing/concentration scores displayed weaknesses in this area.

This evaluation was sent to his school and he was given individual tutoring after school at the grade-one level. He performed fairly well in grade two. However, in grade three, his performance was below average. He excels at any form of sports and he plays the drums well. He also does well at computer studies and maths (but not maths that is presented orally or written in a puzzle). He is part of the football team and track and field team at his school.

I am concerned about his schoolwork. He did not receive individual tutoring in grades two and three. When he gets his schoolwork wrong and I go through with him, he knows most of the answers. His grade-three teacher says that he rushes to do the work and he does not do it properly. He struggles with reading and comprehension, his attention span is short.

What can I do to help him? Do you think he has attention deficit disorder? How can I get help for him to diagnose if he has this problem? He is now going into grade four and I am worried.

A It is strongly recommended that most children who have been assessed and diagnosed with a disorder should, after three years, be retested to determine if the help provided has caused positive results. You need to get your son tested again to determine if he has attention deficit disorder. The psychological and educational evaluations will determine what is happening and the psychologist will make recommendations regarding special educational services that he may require. Please get him assessed as soon as possible.

POSITIVE Parenting