Many people believe that the only child is selfish, lonely, too dependent on their parents for everything, and incapable of interacting with peers. Whether this is true or not is debatable. In fact, most only children are more on par with the first born child, well adjusted, high achieving and self-reliant .



In order to help your only child to become a well adjusted individual, make sure he has playmates by attending daycare, inviting other children to your home, and arranging play dates with children in the neighbourhood. Make sure not to overprotect your child, as all children need to learn to deal with disappointment and hurt. Some parents tend to baby an only child by doing things for them that they can do for themselves. Please resist this temptation.

If you find yourself confused by what you've read to this point, don't despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

A lot of parents of only children have overly high expectations for their child instead of letting them develop at their own pace. Most only children tend to mature early because of exposure to adult company and conversations. Try to make sure the child has plenty of chances to interact with people his own age. Resist the urge to over-indulge your child with toys and clothes. When children are treated this way, they tend to become spoiled and selfish. All children need to be able to entertain themselves at times as this allows them to find their own interests and enjoy unstructured time.

Allow time for mom and dad to spend time alone. The child doesn't always need to be the center of attention and this will help him grow to be a healthy and well adjusted individual who does not expect special treatment. He will feel he is no different from anyone else and appreciate all that he has. The best thing for any child is to feel secure in his place in the context of the family sphere.

Now you can understand why there's a growing interest in Parenting. When people start looking for more information about Parenting, you'll be in a position to meet their needs.