Is a single child a lonely child???

Having no siblings can be very lonely and I can understand that you are concerned about your son not having anyone but I dont think that its the worst thing in the world, he may just be going threw a thase because of moving he is feeling extra lonely. You say you have put him into a nursery but that is not working so to me that does not necessarly meen that he is lonely he might just feel a little put out that he has no other chilren to play with that he is used to playing with. My daughter hates that fact I have had another baby and so i dont think you can win with children some times, it's a no win situation.

Hi, im new on here and came across your post and just wanted to say that i felt exactly like you do when our daughter was about your sons age, she was very withdrawn and played alot on her own and i would get moments when i would cacth her chatting to herself and looking quiet lonely. We also moved away to Newzealand for a while and when we came back she started in a new school and i was so worried, but my worries were soon swayed by how well she was getting on and how many friends she made and how liked she was. She is now 6 and we have just had another little girl and to be honest im glad we waited to have another because i have had time with my eldest and seen her go threw all the moving, new schooling etc and i loved having that time and she did come out of her shell and was not so lonely for long. So dont be to hard on yourself as your son loves you for just being his Mummy and im sure you will make the right decision as to when to have another child and when it comes to him making friends im sure he will in his own time. x

I think he might be lonely, but it won't take another child to help with this. Do you have any pets? If not I would really recommend taking your son to a local animal shelter and letting him pick a dog for you to rescue (of course you have to make sure the dog is appropriate for you and your family too! :) ). If you don't want a dog, they aren't right for you in anyway...could you consider a cat? Or sometimes animal shelters adopt out rabbits and small critters like that! Pets are GREAT for keeping small children happy. Kids see pets as true friends!

You could arrange playdates with some other children, help him get to know some children and make new friends. Having another baby is not a practical solution because by the time the baby is born and old enough to play with your son, he will have made new friends and will be fine. An only child can get lonely, I'm sure, but there are ways to help him socialize. I have only one child, and no plans to have more. I am not worried about him being lonely. If I had more children, they'd probably complain about having to share everything and wait their turn. Like they say- the grass is always greener on the other side.

I think that it depends on the child. Some children love being the only child as they are able to manipulate parents easier (in SOME cases), others hate being an only child because they really wanted siblings. I think that the fact that you moved and he hasn't had any new friends yet could be part of the reason he is feeling lonely. I'm sure that once you get settled in and find some new activities there will be children that he will be able to be involved with. In my own personal opinion I wouldn't have only one child because I would want them to have that kind of social interaction and life lessons that you can only get from having a sibling, though I know this is not everyones choice this would be mine. Good luck and I hope he finds some friends soon!

Make another child! Hahaha... joke, but apparently that might be the a good option. Not all single child are lonely, some love getting the attention of their parents and some wants another company to be with. As you described, your child definitely is feeling lonely as he wants another company to be with. If I were you, I would wait and encourage him to make friends in his current location as having another child can be a pain financially.

"he used to have frends, but now as we moved to another location, he is all the more lonely as this place has no kids that he can play with" I would say thats part of your problem right there..not only was he moved from a place where he was comfortable, new the area, had friends etc and taken to a place completely strange where his friends arent around but there are no NEW friends to be had at the moment either....Moving is HUGE change for a child at that age so I imagine he's out of sorts because of that...Secondly if you and your man are having marital issues, your boy would be able to sense any tension or stress no matter how much you may try to hide it.. I would say that spending EXTRA quality fun time with him would help..try finding FAMILY activities in the new area to do and that will not only please him but also possibly open doors to meet other families..And just talk to him, reassure him, get him to talk to you about his feelings (somewhat tricky at that age mind you)....I think in time he'll become more at ease.. As for is a single child a lonely one? NO of course not UNLESS the parent/caregivers shelter that child and whatnot..

I do think that a single child is a lonely child, that's why I want one more but my husband already have two kids with his ex-wife so he did not want more. I feel sad but we still in discussion about that. I hope time will change him. Anyway my son is now still a little baby. To have another baby I have to wait for 4 years more because I did not give a natural birth to my son. My son is still too young to know lonely or not but I mother already think about that. All mother is the same!

Well kids are very observant, they easily detect what other kids have that they don't, just like that they are good in mimicking adults expressions, they are very much aware of what is going on around them more than we think they do. Kids will always want a sibling to play with especially when everyone else has brothers and sisters except for him. Not unless he only enjoys playing with his friends and their brothers and sisters, which I doubt, most children would want 24/7 playmates of their own. Maybe you can spend more time with him to ease the loneliness and maybe he wouldn't be so sad for not having siblings.

I'm an only child and so is my son who is eight. I always wanted more kids but for various reasons, I didn't have another child and now I think I'm too old. In fact, I've just started a discussion on adoption and single child syndrome. But, I can tell you that the number of friends I have is amazing. Solid friends who've stood by me through thick and thin. My house is always full of people. It's not that I've never missed having a sibling. I still feel the absence of one, especially when I see the bonding of my husband with his brother. But, I have a loving family, so it's okay. But, yes, my son desperately wants a sibling and will tell me continuously to have one or adopt one or to get him a pet. He has many friends, too, but I feel living with adults round the clock has made him too mature and precocious for his years. But, I still think, good friends make up for the lack of siblings.

u try to spend more time with him. and buy some toys or have a pet or u buy an aquarium and grow some fishes in it. take him out for shopping, take him to ur relatives place and ask him to be friendly with the children there.last but not the least plan for ur second baby soon this will be the best way. http://www.way2victory.com

i am the only child in my family, i always feel lonely and helpless even though i have a lot of friends...... because friends are not relatives, i still cannot tell my friends somethings although we are very close ~~~ because they are not families, so i always feel helpless when i have problems which cannot be told to my friends~~~ i always hope that i have a brother or sister~

If I were you ,I would taught my son how to make friends.I would give him my example when I was young.I would teach him some useful methods. You know ,to have another baby is not realistic. It required a long time and financial support.don't you think so?

Great topic! My wife and I go back and forth over this constantly. I want my son to have a sibling. My concerns are about when we are not around, I would like him to have someone close. I also would like him to have someone to bond with while growing up. My wifes comments are that she wants to spend as much time with him as she can right now, and he will have other friends and relatives. I think alot of this has to do with personal opinion if you ask me. Everyone has one. And I think alot of it has to do with family values!

it is said so. but nowadays more and more parents are opting for only child. there are some pros also. its always easy to maintain single child than more children that child can be provided better way and also can be brought up easier. but it differs also.

The best way to figure this out is to watch your child. You have lovingly raised him and been there, you know his personality. I cannot say that ALL only-children are lonely. I have a unique situation in that I have four siblings, yet I spent almost 7 1/2 years as an 'only'. When I was little and saw my friends having baby brothers and sisters, I too wanted that desperately. I am adopted, and it wasn't too long before I realized that my parents were probably not going to have a baby. Long story short, I lost my mom at a young age to a medical problem, and my dad remarried. Before this happened, they did adopt my sister, who was almost 5. I was 7 1/2. My mom and dad had two more children, plus my mom had an older son - so there are my four siblings. I must say that before the changes came along, I did for a time enjoy being the only one, I had my own room, my parents to myself, attention from not only my friends but my parents' friends, etc. I love my siblings, we were a big noisy family and all of us are individuals. I wouldn't trade them for anything... yet were I not to know what it's like being part of a large family, I don't think I would miss it. Some people are okay as onlies, others really need the attention, atmosphere, companionship, etc. Of course there is also rivalry and competition, but it's just part of growing up. I do believe that only children need to have lots of outside choices at easy access, such as friends, hobbies, sports, and activities, perhaps special things they do with a parent as well as without on a regular basis, maybe a pet they help to care for. Again it all depends on the personality though.