Parent of an only-child

What should I do?

I am a single parent to a wonderful ‘only’ boy. He is 5 years old and I naturally think he is a genius, as most mothers do. I have read some of your posts, I appreciate the varied topics and I plan on reading more. My son and I recently moved across country for a new job and I do not have a large network of friends, especially those with children his age. He has been in daycare since the age of 10 months old and has always been around other children at daycare and now school. His Kindergarten teacher recently stated: “He needs to listen to his friends before he goes ahead with his own agenda. His actions can sometimes be viewed as disrespectful by his peers.” This has me a little concerned. He is not a mean child, nor is he aggressive, however, this leads me to believe [...]

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Alicia Staz who writes a blog called ‘Only Child Option’

I am the proud parent of a 5 year old only child.  He is our first and our last child.  Trust me when I say we encountered opposition. Both my family and my husband’s family “encouraged” us to reconsider. In the end we had to make the best choice for us.  One child completes our family and we are very comfortable with our decision.  Having one child carries a stigma for parents as well as for the child.  My solution is to write a blog on only child parenting.  I write about my experiences as a parent of an only child to help others make the decision on how many children is right for their family. I keep the pitfalls of only-child parenting in mind as I proceed through this thing called life.  I took care of a child my son’s age for the first 3 years of his life [...]

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My Sixteen Tips for parents’ of an only child

I receive a lot of emails from parents who have only one child and feel they are being pressurised into having more. They are often labeled selfish and are made to feel they are doing a terrible thing. Bringing up a child, with or without siblings, is a challenging experience, and we can get it right or wrong either way. Having more children does not guarantee happiness for anyone. Having an only child has its own challenges both for parents’ and the child itself. Ultimately I think it’s best to have the number of children that suits your family. One, or more than one, which ever is best for you. The problems only children can experience being an only one can easily be counteracted, by ensuring that they are not over-protected and are given lots of opportunities to interact with other children. I would never encourage any one to have [...]

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