HOW TO HELP YOUR ONLY (IF SHE’S LONELY)

An only child is often in the company of grown-ups. Possibly, an only child’s opportunities for seeing other children come in the form of the “little emperor” being carted off to child-centred, structured and focused activities for her benefit (not yours). The danger is that she thinks her needs are more important than yours. She could also be missing out on the rough-and-tumble of playing freely in a pack of children – and picking up a few social skills in the process. Amelia, a single mother of one, reserves Friday nights for “date night”... with a difference. Once a week, she and several single-parent friends meet in informal “support groups”, where they make dinner and have wine, and the children free-range around them. Such a system can be a lifesaver for adult-starved single parents and childs tarved single kids.