How to Make the Holidays More Fun for an Only Child

Having an only child does not necessarily sentence him to a life of perpetual loneliness or whining to get everything he wants. While a parent can worry that Christmas morning is not as special without siblings to share it, an only child can contentedly celebrate special holiday moments with friends, cousins and parents. Keeping the wonder and magic of the season alive is a sure way to give your only child a holiday to remember.

Instructions

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      Observe classic holiday traditions with your child. Leave traces of Santa throughout the room on Christmas morning. Place a piece of torn red felt on the fireplace grate and say, ̶0;Look. Santa snagged his coat trying to get out of here when you woke up. Look out the window to see if he̵7;s still out there.̶1; Make your own special traditions that you can observe each holiday season. Light a menorah, go caroling or drink hot cocoa by the fire. Resist the urge to fill every moment of the holiday and give your only child some quiet time alone to play or reflect.

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      Invite people over to share in holiday fun. Include neighbors, cousins or folks who do not have anywhere to go on Christmas. Make the day an open house, and allow visitors to drop in all day long. Let your child act as party host, play with the other children, and serve special treats to the guests. Writing for the "Psychology Today" website, child psychologist Dr. Carl Pickhardt explains that only children often have a few well-selected friends, so invite your child's closest buddy over to celebrate. Take a picture of your child with each guest to make a scrapbook of your day.

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      Create a holiday adventure for your only child. Design a scavenger hunt around town that includes the local Christmas parade, pictures with Santa and hot chocolate with whipped cream, or create a search for him to follow through the house to find all of his Christmas gifts. Remember that your only child's closest companions are often his parents, a point made by Pickhardt.

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      Make the holidays more enjoyable for your child by spending some time serving others. Sponsor a kid in need; purchase gifts and clothes from her wish list, wrap them in festive paper and deliver them with your child. Pick an afternoon to serve food in a local soup kitchen, pass out blankets to the homeless or shovel a snowy sidewalk for an elderly neighbor. Your child will appreciate how good it feels to be generous with his time and resources during the holiday season.

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      Make a holiday craft together that can decorate your home for Christmases to come. Design a homemade snow globe, decorate a gingerbread house or make papier-mache ornaments. Decorate wreaths to hang in the windows or from the mantle. Create handmade cards for friends and family members out of colored paper, glitter and stickers and deliver each card in person along with some fresh cookies or gingerbread.

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