Semi-self-appointed parenting guru Marilyn Heins offers some thoughts recently on raising sibling-free children.
I was a little skeptical about this at first, but then got to thinking
about it. Essentially, she claims that only children tend to be quite
self-reliant, except when the parents (she blames mothers specifically,
which makes me want to mock her oversized glasses) spend "too much
time" with the child, getting "too attached" and "too involved" with
the child.
Which means that you are officially liberated from
being required to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" over and over forty
gaziliion times or sitting down over a nice cup of pretend tea in front
of "Blues Clues". And you are practically being encouraged to hire a
babysitter while you take long solo baths or waste time work at your laptop! I am finding this positively intoxicating!
Like
everything, though, I suppose there needs to be balance. It irks me
that there seems to be an underlying message here to parents of only
children, implying that they tend to over-parent. I think we all make choices
based on what we feel is right for our children and what also works
with our particular family dynamic.
But go have that bath anyway. It'll do you both good.
