My 3 year old son is generally very well behaved and plays well with others. However, he just wont sit still when we need him to. He is good at staying still when he is focused on something, but as soon as he isn't stimulated enough he is off.
My wife and I don't want to stifle his personality, and force him to stay at heel like a well trained dog, yet we want to be able to encourage him to sit down quietly when required, respond to direction, and not make simple tasks like getting dressed in the morning into a stressful event where I have to chase him down. Shopping trips, church services, train rides and story time are all sources of stress at the moment. Perhaps we are being unrealistic, and it is just his nature, but it seems like his peers are able to do it.
Since he has only just turned three, we have almost a year before he starts school, and we want to do the best for him so that he can thrive in a school environment. What are some techniques we can use that will encourage him to remain by our side when asked, and to sit down quietly when the situation requires it.