Important tips for parenting a single child

Today’s date, more and more parents prefer single child due to various reasons. Even though they like more than one child, they prefer only single child. Reason might be different for different parents such as

• Father and mother are professionals and do not have more time to spend for family. For such reason they prefer single child and try to focus more attention to give him/her quality time, care and love.
• Due to financial problem, many parents cannot afford more children. They think that it is better to give more facilities to single child. They cannot provide good facilities to their children if more than one child.
• In India many people live in a single room or even smaller than that. Due to space problem in home, many parents prefer nuclear family.

 

Parenting a Single Child Successfully

For many parents raising a single child sometimes becomes headache if their child is very naughty or out of control. A single child is always dear and near one of parent and other family member such as grandfather and grandmother. In such case it is difficult for some parents to control their child from overwhelm love of near ones.

In old times where there are more children in family, parents do not need to look after their children and also not have time due to large number of family members. They don’t remember how their children grown up. While today it is very reverse situation for parents of single child. They need to spare more attention to their only child.

It is not difficult to raise your only child if you know some important tact to understand your child’s habits.

Spare Valuable Time with your Only Child

If you belong to nuclear family, then it is very important to give more attention to your only child. You need to take care that your child does not feel lonely. In case of working parents, you need to arrange some reliable caretaker for your baby or you need to keep your baby in baby care center. You can give quality time to your child when you are at home. Don’t avoid your child if he/she wishes to play with you. Sometimes parents get tired when they come from work. You and your partner mutually distribute work and give more focus on your child’s development. Your child need your presence and love when he/she becomes preschooler or below five years.

Find Some Good Activities for your Child

Every child needs different things after few minute or hour. He needs different toys or games to play. If they don’t find any activities, they immediately reach to their parents and demand to play with him. According to age of your kid, you need to bring toys, puzzles, games that keep your child busy. There are many intellectual games and puzzles are available in the market that increases your child’s intelligence and thus they can play alone without need of anyone.

Prepare Schedule to make your Child Active

Make schedule for your child to learn different activities from childhood. You can educate your single child by admitting him to some classes such as drawing, painting, swimming, dancing, music, etc. You can arrange it according to their age. If your child is going to nursery or school, you need to keep some interval because your kid needs some rest. Do not  burden your child with a lot of activities. Make your child active that he likes to participate in different activities in school from child age. You can encourage your child by taking self interest and join with them by sparing some time.

Learn your Child Self Responsiveness

It is natural phenomenon in nuclear family that singles child is fully depend on his/her parents. In such case parent need over attentive to fulfill need of their only child. It is fair that you love your child more than anything, but at the same time you should not forget that your overwhelming love may spoil your child’s habits.

You should teach your child good habits from childhood. You should teach him to do routine work himself. Initially you can help them for doing such things, but step by step you should make practice that he realizes himself to do his work. You need to explain with patience and love that this is your daily work and you need to follow it. Daily activities such that from brushing to bathing, ready to go to school, arrange school bag, arrange their book selves, keep their toys properly, etc. It is natural that preschooler needs help of mother for such activities, but you can teach them gradually to do so.

No Siblings, Don’t Worry

When you child sees his friend’s brother and sisters, they sometimes feel lonely. He thinks that how nice if he has his own sister or brother. In such case you need to explain to him with love that you can make many friends with whom you can play. Teach him how to make good friends.

You can teach your child to share his things with friends. You also need to teach that what you can give and what not to your friend. Once your child gets good friends to play, they forget all about siblings. You should send your child outside in playground for playing with other children. Your presence is essential for few days.

Single child is not habituated to share anything in their home. Therefore, it is very essential to teach them mingling, sharing, compromising, and considering others.

Things to Remember

• Teach your only child good attitude, self determination and social skills. Make your child independent that he doesn’t need parent to perform any small or big task. It is very essential that they take your advice before doing any task.
• As a parent of single child, your responsibility is definitely get higher, but same time you can fully spend all your time, attention, love, and money for ideal development of your single child.
• Take your child for outing at nearby kid’s park or garden, or shopping mall once in a week or minimum twice in a month. You need to develop your child’s vision and make him familiar with the world outside the home.