Q: My child is 10 years old. How do I create an interest in hard work? He is already an A or B+ student, but he is a reluctant student when it comes to schoolwork and homework. He only wants to play on his electronics. At the end of the day, he says he is not a good boy and feels sad. How do I address this issue?

A: You may have three separate or related issues, and while I can address some of them, you should likely arrange for a psychological evaluation for your son.

First, the electronics issue is one that almost every family faces. No doubt you are specifically referring to video games that somehow magnetize many children today. Nonviolent video games for small amounts of time — no more than an hour a day — are reasonable for children. If your son has been spending many hours with screens, he may already be addicted to them, and like other addictions, withdrawing from them may cause him to feel sad. You will gradually need to help him develop other interests, like sports, building and collecting things, reading, art, dramatics or music. There is much to choose from to engage him.

Second, if your son easily gets A's with little effort, it's possible he is not being sufficiently challenged in school. An educational evaluation will demonstrate where his academic competence lies, and it's possible he could be either grade- or subject-accelerated, depending on many other factors in his development and in the school environment. He may be very bored with his present curriculum for good reason.

Third, developing a work ethic is good for all children. They learn that best in environments where they observe that their parents enjoy their work and where they have opportunities to work alongside an adult. Too much required work also causes children to rebel and not want to work, but I doubt if that is your son's situation.

Last but not least, I feel concerned about your son's sadness. While it's possible he may only be using his sadness as a ploy to get your attention, it's also possible he could be feeling real depression. Obviously, you would need to take him to a psychologist for a full evaluation, because no child can be diagnosed by a letter. Hopefully your son has shown improvement by now, but surely he needs professional help if the symptoms you describe persist.

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Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or [email protected]. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.