Q: My 5-year-old child wakes up ready to go everyday by 6 a.m. even if he goes to bed at a normal time the night before. How do I teach him to listen to his body and stay asleep longer? Is it possible that some children just don't need very much sleep?

A: Your son who wakes early every morning may be listening to his body very well, and no doubt it is telling him it's time to rise and shine. Darker wintry mornings may keep him hibernating in bed a little longer, but as long as he is alert all day, and not cranky or tired, there is a good chance that he has had enough sleep. I assume by age five he is not taking an afternoon nap. If he were, then you could try cutting out his nap as we do with younger children who awaken too early for their parents.

The best you can do is encourage him to stay in his room for a little while until you wake up, and to quietly keep himself busy. Some children like a breakfast snack as soon as they awaken. You could allow him to keep some cereal or a cereal bar in his room to enjoy while he's playing and waiting for you to wake up. Please don't install a TV in his room, or he'll be tempted to begin the day with screens. Too much screen time is bad for young children's brains and is likely to prevent his playing in more positive and creative ways.

Since it's clear that your son is very energetic, he will need positive outlets to release this energy, such as sports, hobbies, and extracurricular school activities. It is important to keep high-energy children busy with productive individual or group activities.

You didn't mention any other adjustment problems, so I assume all else is well with your son, and his being an early riser is just what differentiates him from the rest of the family. He will no doubt someday remind you of Benjamin Franklin's sage advice, "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

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Is Backwards Writing A Disability?

Q: My son just started kindergarten. He always writes his name correctly at home, but also always writes it backwards at school and I don't understand why. If he has a learning disability, wouldn't he also write his name incorrectly at home? Have you ever heard of anything like this?

A: Your son has an unusual symptom, but it is unlikely to be a disability if he writes his name correctly at home every time. Since this is only the beginning of the school year, he may either be anxious or in a rush to complete his work in the classroom. There is usually a little bit of anxiety at the beginning of kindergarten for every child, but it typically disappears after the first few weeks, so if the teacher or you correct his writing, he will undoubtedly get it straightened out. The other possibility is that he is in a hurry to finish his work first so he doesn't stop and think. Many young children seem to believe that the first student done is the smartest — the last child finished is the least smart in the class. He may also simply be concentrating on the recess that comes after his writing is done. Most importantly, his writing is definitely not a disability if he does it correctly every time at home, and he will surely learn to write his name correctly — probably even before you receive my response to your question.

For free newsletters or articles entitled What's the Hurry? Learning Disabilities, ADHD, and/or Children With Fears and Fearful Children, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address below. Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, 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.