Not alone
With reference to “Home alone: Growing up single” by Kusum Lata Sawhney (December 19), being the father of a single child, a daughter aged three, I was delighted to find that most single child parents share the same feelings that my wife and I do . Though our daughter does not like to share her toys with our neighbours' kids, she craves their company. Despite being alone at home except for her mother most of the time, she is very gregarious and remains absorbed in a lot of imaginary games. As pointed out by the author, my daughter too insists on being independent when it comes to clothes, cleaning herself or putting her things back after play time .
Sudarshan Rauta
Kakinada
When ‘Growing up single' is becoming very common, the bringing up matters. And the school and its atmosphere could compensate. But it affects the parents more than the child. Their problems need attention.
Jacob Sahayam
Thiruvananthapuram
With growing family planning awareness and with plenty of channels for being independent available, the single child gets the best attention and also gets encouraged early to take his/her own decisions unlike the conventional child depending on her sister/brother for advice and support. Further, the level of confidence also would be high in the single child.
R. Sekar
Visakhapatnam
What was an exception in the yesteryears has become a rule now with the changing priorities of women. The women of today are more educated and career-minded and they look forward to achieving something in life and so they do not want to get bogged down by spending all the years bringing up the children. They feel that with a single child, they can give the best to him/her and also pursue their careers. But this is more prevalent in urban areas and metros and the population growth rate happens more in the rural areas in our country where the single child is not yet a norm. China implemented the rule of one-child norm and thus was able to reduce the growth rate significantly. This will not be easily possible in India, but if we educate and provide employment to the rural and poor women in our country, it will not only make our country prosper, but will also reduce the population growth rate, as their priorities will also change.
Deepa Nagaraj
Bengaluru
In urban life where it has become a necessity for both husband and wife to go to work, it is difficult bringing up a child because a growing child needs guidance at every stage. As emotions matter a lot for a balanced growth of the child, most educated parents feel that a single child is enough. Thus most have also been successful in bonding with the child better, thereby developing a new closeness, a new sharing and intimacy with the child.
K.R. Srinivasan
Secunderabad
The article is clearly biased in favour of the idea of ‘only child'. Her opinions supporting it, though accompanied by an escort of evidences, can't be blindly accepted. The values one imbibes from one's siblings are beyond the reach of an ‘onlychild'. Brotherhood and sisterhood cater to a sense of social life within the household, rather than being just a reason for parents to double their joys with children.
Yoonus K.
Kizhuparamba, Malappuram Dt.
The number of families, especially the middle class, where both husbands and wives are working adopting the single child norm is on the increase as economic and career reasons force them to do so. They however face criticism from society as there is a misconception that single children may turn out problematic or of eccentric character etc. This article will set at rest such unfounded fears.
M.K.B. Nambiar
Mahe
