How To Raise An Only Child

Raising an only child has its advantages as well as disadvantages. On one side, the kid gets complete love, warmth and attention from his/her parents. On the other side, raising a child without siblings always involves the risk of making him/her selfish, unaware of the sense of responsibility and resistant to any kind of compromise. Therefore, it seems to be a tough task for the parents, to make their only child grow as a responsible person. The chances of being a spoiled brat seem to grow manifold, when a child doesn't have a sibling. If you are also facing such a situation, then you would surely need some tips. Go through following lines and find out how to raise an only child.

 

Being alone and growing up as a single child may make your kid aloof. As a parent, you need to make sure that your kid mingles with other children as well. Take him/her to social gatherings. Encourage your child to play with the other kids in your locality. This would give him/her the opportunity to make friends and socialize. In addition, it would also banish the feeling of loneliness in your kid, a problem faced by majority of children who do not have siblings.

 

It is very difficult to instill the qualities of sharing and compromising in kids who grow up as their parent's only child. If your child doesn’t have siblings, take it as a challenge and instill the much needed social skills in your child. For instance, encourage your kid to share toys with other children, while playing. Out of selfishness, if your child doesn’t share his/her toys with others, make him/her realize that his/her friends would alienate him/her due to such a behavior.

 

You may want to keep a check on everything your child does, fearing that he/she would get spoilt in your absence. Although it is beneficial for the development of your kid, when he/she grows up, he/she would rather feel suffocated and want to get out of your stranglehold. Space is essential for your child; to allow him/her to develop his/her own self. Hence, give your child independence to a certain level, while making sure that it doesn’t make him/her a spoiled brat. Remember, the vigilance of a kid should be done tactfully. You should keep an eye on him/her, while not letting your child know that he/she is under vigil.

 

Children, who don't have siblings, often resort to their parents for everything, right from tying their shoe laces to getting moral support. A sense of responsibility would banish this thought and make them independent as well as a better person. Therefore, provide your child with errands that can easily be done without any external help. This would indirectly develop self-determination in your child and instill the sense of responsibility and independence as well.

 

When you provide your single child with responsibility and independence, he/she might think that he/she and you have equal powers - the right to take all decisions on your own. This often poses a threat to the proper development of the child and results in negative consequences - your child may become adamant and rebellious. Therefore, it is very important to make him/her aware of his/her limits, within which he/she has to act.