Myth Busters: Raising an Only Child

The "traditional" American family includes two parent and two children, one boy and one girl. However, today's family is anything but traditional. Not only are more families headed by single parents, more parents are electing to have only one child. As a matter of fact, statistics indicate that as many as 20% of all families include only one child.

Only Children are Brats

,p> The reality is that only children are brats only if their parents allow them to be. Children have, and should be given, numerous opportunities to socialize with other children, family members, and neighbors. Only children generally score just as high on sociability scales as children from multi-child households. Indira Ghandi and Charles Lindbergh were only children.

Only Children are Developmentally Behind

Many parents of multi-children households claim that older children are valuable resources in socializing their younger siblings and helping them learn. This leaves parents of only children wondering if they are somehow hindering their child's development. In fact, perhaps due to the one-on-one attention from parents, only children are generally higher achieving than other children. Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Leonardo DaVinci were only children.

Most recent research shows that only children are similar in personality to first-born children. They tend to be leaders and teachers with a great deal of responsibility and drive. But, parents of only children should pay close attention to their child's social development. Here are a few tips:

• Help your child develop friendships
• Make sure that you're not your child's only companion
• Don't push too hard
• Set limits and rules