| Only child parenting carries its own special | | | | direction of widening his circle of friends. |
| problems and one of these is ensuring that your | | | | Tip 4. Choosing a school for your child can be |
| child learns to interact with others from an early | | | | difficult at the best of times but, when it comes |
| age in order to be able to face the rigors of the | | | | to selecting a school for an only child, try to |
| modern world. However, with a little bit of thought | | | | select a school in the immediate neighborhood so |
| and some careful planning this is not too difficult a | | | | that your child will have friends who are close at |
| task. | | | | hand. |
| Although there are many advantages to being an | | | | Tip 5. When planning a family holiday try to ensure |
| only child, one disadvantage is that only children | | | | that you stay somewhere where there will be |
| can face difficulties in developing the skills that are | | | | other children of your own child's age. |
| needed to relate to and interact with others once | | | | Alternatively, consider arranging for another child |
| they find themselves entering the adult world. For | | | | to join you on holiday or team up with another |
| this reason it is important for parents of only | | | | family for a joint holiday. |
| children to start preparing their child for this from | | | | Tip 6. If your child seems happy to enjoy solitary |
| an early age. | | | | pastimes such as reading you may be tempted to |
| Here are seven tips to set your only child on the | | | | try to discourage him from spending so much |
| right path. | | | | time reading and to push him towards other more |
| Tip 1. An excellent way of start the process of | | | | sociable activities, such as sport. Rather than |
| loosening your child's reliance on you and | | | | following this route, work with your child's interest |
| introducing him to other children in a safe and | | | | and encourage him to broaden his interest into a |
| stimulating environment is to enroll him in a | | | | group environment, in this case by perhaps joining |
| kindergarten. This also has the added advantage | | | | a reading group. |
| of easing him into school when the time comes. | | | | Tip 7. If your child shows little interest in team |
| Tip 2. Invite other children into your house so that | | | | sports or group activities then try to gently |
| your child has the chance to get used to | | | | encourage him in that direction. Great care is |
| interacting with other children in a safe and familiar | | | | needed here however and you should move |
| environment. | | | | slowly ensuring that your child follows your lead |
| Tip 3. If your child is having difficulty in relating to | | | | willingly, rather than reluctantly. At all costs |
| other children try to encourage him to develop a | | | | however avoid the mistake of pushing your child |
| friendship with just one child initially and, once this | | | | into something that he really doesn't want to do. |
| friendship is established, gradually lead him in the | | | | |