What do older only children do?

[Jessica60]

Hi,
I have a 3 year old, she is likely to be an only child. I was worrying today as she has been stuck in the house bored, mainly due to bad weather. She is bored even though she had loads of new toys for Xmas.
What will happen when she is older. What do older only children do for entertainment?

When I was a kid I had a brother and sister and lived on a street where all the kids were always playing out the front. We live on a country lane so she won't have this.

I'm really worried about this issue. Will I have to entertain her for ever???

People in this situation please advise. It's making me feel guilty that she will be an only child.

 

[SophiasMummy]

My LO is 5 and an only child. You will find it easier when your LO starts school and has schòol friends my LO often gets invited to friends houses to play. If your worried about her being bored now though why not try making things or drawing etc. My LO is happy to play or draw by herself when we're at home or will ask me to play something with her. Have you got any simple boardgames? Or maybe if you have any soft play centres near you take her there.

Yes you have to play and entertain her more because she doesn't have any siblings to play with but it's not that different considering you only have to deal with one child and not two plus with arguments and squabbling

I often look after my friends two kids who are 5 and almost 3 and honestly just one child is way easier between the arguments over toys, constantly asking for things, falls etc I'd never get anything done

 

[Neko]

My son was an only child for 11 years. When he was younger, we had to entertain him a bit more than if he had a playmate. I also arranged playdates with other children so he could get more used to playing with children than adults. It is a problem that only children can have problems playing with other children because they spend most of their time around adults.

As he got older and into school, it wasn't really an issue to have an only child. School takes up hours a day, then the activities start; rounds of sports, Scouts, Church activities. etc. It was easy only having one child to take around to activities. Sometimes I find it hard to keep up with son's need for rides and high school schedule with my younger DD.

 

[OmarsMum]

It is easier when they get older

1st I meet new mums with children his age, we arrange play dates, my son also goes to several clubs , now school is off for winter break he goes to a sports club 4 times a week, on Saturdays he goes to 3 classes (Arts, Quran & mental math).

We do family activities like going to the theatre or visiting attractions. At home we give him free access to all rooms, he turns the house into obstacle field sometimes, he is creative with inventing games. I don't sit to entertain him all day. When he gets bored when we're stuck indoor I take out old toys & help him in building them up, then leave him to play.

He likes to learn new things, he loves books & reading.

The best thing we did recently is finding nice neighbors loool, I met a mum who has 2 girls 9 &10 yrs old. I help them in studying in exchange of playing with my boy they are so fond of him & they love to play with him.

 

[caz_hills]

My son is currently an only child (although I'm 6+3 pregnant finally). We always have loads of play dates. This week after school we have three - two at ours and one at someone else's house. We could fill every day with play dates to be honest, he is a really social kid and in very social too with the mums at school.

He does get bored playing with us some times but today we have: we did craft (made snow flakes as its snowing today), went food shopping, played ten age mutant ninja turtles, watched the minion movie. We are later going to make cup cakes so I find that if we have activities planned it is better.

We love going to the park (he often makes buddies there), soft play, coffee shops for a nice treat or seeing family - loads to do.

When I see parents with two or more it does look easier as they play together. But I get loads of really quality time with my son after school which I love. Also we are desperate for another child as we never planned for him to be an only child. But you can't plan these things so we just make the most of him being our lovely boy and being so close to us x

 

[topsy]

DS is an only one and always will be. We do lots of play dates and are always busy. we have a LG a week younger than him 2 doors up and a LB 6 months older than him across the road and us mums all know each other so I hope when hes older they can come to play and he can play round theirs too xxx