Only children are rebellious, spoiled and selfish"

We are easily confronted with the old maxim: "Only children are rebellious, spoiled and selfish". Is this belief correct?

My daughter is an only child and so far my husband and I have done a good job.

In fact, what is important for a child's healthy growth in emotional and relational terms is not siblings, but other factors, which we will address.

Create a secure parent-child relationship

Creating a secure relationship is essential for your child to grow up with dreams, explorer habits and a pervasive laugh. Fragile, overprotected and dependent children easily lose their childhood glow. They become gloomy, afraid to get dirty, afraid to live out the curious and adventurous smiles of their time.

The question should not be about the number of children, but about the quality of their education, regardless of whether families choose to have one, two, three or more children.

Indeed, an only child may feel more lonely at certain times, but this will depend on all the social involvement and the quality of the child's relationship with the parents and adults who make up his or her world. It is important to promote activities in contact with cousins and other children.

Ideally, the youngest children should grow up in an environment of love, respect and sharing. The only child can easily become a kind, generous, determined, respectful and happy child, if the values of his education are properly structured.

Managing parental expectations

A less positive aspect is the high expectations that are often associated with an only child. In this case, the child may develop a greater propensity for anxious and isolating behaviors. Again, it is incumbent upon parents, the extended family and society to promote in each child the ability to navigate his or her own dreams, shout out original tastes and paint rainbows of creative colors.

The primary focus of parental attention should be on excess. What matters to a child is not the quantity of toys, the status of the school he attends, or the expensive clothes he wears, but the quality of the hugs and cuddles he receives from his family.

Educate with limits, rules and lots of love. Yes, thank you!

Educate with demands, with excessive control and overprotection, no please!

This is the only excess allowed to parents: To say and express how much we love our children!