http://www.only-child-option.com ...because having multiple children isn't the only choice. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:58:40 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have been enjoying a wonderful resource for a while now and thought I would share it with the rest of my readers.  It is a website called Families with Purpose.  It was founded in 2003 by parents struggling to create a nurturing family life while balancing the demands of ... http://www.only-child-option.com/families-with-purpose/ WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you ... http://www.only-child-option.com/when-you-thought-i-wasnt-looking/ This article will be published in 2 categories - myths and truths.  It is completely dependent on the child whether they will have an imaginary friend or not.  Some singletons have imaginary friends and some children with siblings have imaginary friends.  I have a girlfriend whose 3-year old daughter has ... http://www.only-child-option.com/only-child-imaginary-friend/ This story was submitted by Donna Bowness-Belyea of Trinity on the Ocean. Thanks Donna! I had a wonderful childhood as an only child. People think that you have to have siblings to be happy. WRONG.............If you have great role models, as I had you can be joyously happy and grow ... http://www.only-child-option.com/only-child-success-4/ Sociologist Judith Blake looked at a group of 6-11 year old boys over the course of several years. She recorded how often they participated in group activities as compared to solitary pursuits. She found that children from 1 and 2-child families spent significantly more time pursuing cultural interests ... http://www.only-child-option.com/only-child-alone/ An examination of young children who are extremely inhibited as compared to those who are uninhibited concluded there is a biological basis for childhood shyness. Only children were found to be shy just as often as children with siblings (Kagan, J.; Reznick, J.S.; and Snidman, N. "Biological Bases of ... http://www.only-child-option.com/only-child-shy/ If you have an only child or are considering having an only child, chances are that you have heard some of the common stereotypes related to only children: monster spoiled can't share overprotected domineering lonely self-centered "Stereotypes are nothing more than a set of beliefs.  In the case of only children, they are a result of faulty thinking ... http://www.only-child-option.com/only-child-stereotypes/ So why are more people only having 1 child today. Here are some of the most common answers: 1. Financial security - it's simple math. 2. Children are an enormous time commitment - more children, more time. 3. 1 child is more manageable. I can personally attest to the chaos ... http://www.only-child-option.com/why-only-child/ The times are changing. Trends are shifting from the days when a family with 6 children was the norm. These days it is much more common to see families with 1-3 children. Consider these statistics: In 1972, 56% of people polled thought 3 or more children was ideal. ... http://www.only-child-option.com/only-child-trend/ This story was submitted by the site owner, Alicia E Staz. I suppose my story should have been the first one, but life happens to be crazy right now. How can life be crazy for a stay-at-home mom with only 1 child, you ask? Here's how...I am a medical ... http://www.only-child-option.com/only-child-success-3/