Dana & Michelle Harper

Trisha,
    My son Zain is an only child, too. ANd I imagine it could get lonely sometimes, especially considering his friends , who all go to school , also all have siblings. But he's always been an only child so he's sort of used to it(LOL) The friends we go to visit most often, are a big family of 5 kids, and he loves to go there, probably just for that reason. There is never an under abundance of someone to play with.  But we spend alot of time just the two of us, and even then he spends time alone...I'll listen to him sometimes make-believing in his room, and just talking up a storm, as if there were 10 people in there with him.  Since my husband , and I were both only children , too, we know things turn out fine, but there are times when I know he needs more attention, and kid time, and I just try to make that for him. Spend a day at a friends, or something, got to the park...or just do something fun...fun to him is taking a walk in the woods out back.  We do have alot of animals...3 dogs 2 cats 2 birds and 3 fish...the fish aren't too friendly but the dogs and cats are much like siblings.  He is ready for more responsibility, and we've built a dog run for the youngest pup out back(TOO Many animals in the house!) so he will be feeding and playing with him out back once we get th gate up.....I think the animals are really great. I would like to have another child as well, but we've had NO luck, and I wanted them to be close in age, but the longer it gets the least likely that is. Things tend to happen when they are supposed to.
    Maybe when he's a bit more proficient with the spelling the two can be pen pals or something over the net...they can talk about there days, homeschool projects and the such. Just an idea.  Well I think Only children are great..they get plenty of attention, and   have abundant inventive, and creative skills.  I think socialization is over-rated.  You know, Me personally have found as I get older, that I yearn for more time just by myself to do whatever I want read..think...meditate...so I imagine it is the same for children..It contributes to them knowing who they are, and being comfortable with just themselves..that's one step in being social...to know and like yourself....Michelle 

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< < From: "moonlitbatiks" <moonlitbatiks@...> >
< I am starting to question the value of her having lots of time with
< kids her age. I think I pushed her into it when she was 3, thinking
< she needed to have peer friends, and now I regret it.
< Amy

Amy: Thanks for the response. It's made me think again about my daughter's
desires, too - Kalie is happy around other children, but happy, too, around
caring adults. I want to make sure I don't do any "pushing" that we'll both
regret, in either direction!

Linda

PAULA PARMENTER

I guess I'm just wonding how other familes like ours work. What
works, and doesn't work, for your families?**

We too have only one child and we are unschoolers. Azure is almost 13
(next month). We tried the regular home schooling thing, but it was
too confining/structured/boring for her tastes. She has never been to
public/private school. She loves the computer and reading. She is
physically active. We volunteer, a lot! She has the "family zoo"
(lots and lots of pets) to keep her busy. She is on the teen council
at the local library. I just recently discovered the unschooling
Yahoo lists (they even have one for unschooling families of only
children) - so we will be meeting other unschooling families soon.
She has been accepted into Arizona Animal Welfare League's Teen
Tracks program (for kids who are interested in animal science
careers). One of the best groups that she belongs to is the Young
Marines program (website ww.youngmarines.com). It is not a
recruitment tool for the military, rather it began as a drug demand
reduction program (still an important part of the program). You don't
have to be a military family to belong. It is sponsored by the Marine
Corp League. It teaches camping skills, public speaking, leadership,
manners, etc. They also have some really wonderful summer programs:
National Encampments, Leadership Schools Junior, Senior & Advanced),
Revolutionary War & Civil War experiences, Space Camp, Mach 1-3
(aviation), as well as "exchange student" opportunities. We love it.

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