Creating Fun for an Only Child

Unlike in the days of our grandparents or parents (for some) where wealth was measured partly by the number of children you had; modern day couples tend to opt for a smaller family; this could probably be because of their ever busy schedules; they want to be more involved in raising their children and give the best to the few number of children they have rather than have many without adequate care. Most families opt for about two to four children; however some decide to have just one.

Parents with a single child sometimes feel they are being selfish by not letting their child have another sibling. As a result of this they find themselves “spoiling” the child in the bid to try and make him not to feel left out as an only child.

Instead of stressing yourself out and getting him spoilt, bossy and in turn making him lonely why not try out these few steps:

• Do not only shower him with gifts as he might feel you are trying too hard to make up for something; rather make out more time to interact with him
• Encourage him to socialise more; this can be achieved by engaging him in sports, indoor games and other hobbies that he might be interested in. This way he also gets to interact with people
• Imbibe the reading culture in him; he will never get bored
• Do not be all in his face, give him some space to let him explore and have a bit of independence
• If possible you can get him a pet; this will keep him company and also help him have some level of responsibility
• Encourage him to interact more with cousins to have a sense of familial belonging around kids his age

On a lighter note you can also reassure him that he is well loved and is not sharing you with anyone and that he has your undivided attention.