Sibling revelry

When talk turns to parenthood and stories about my son, I usually get asked if we are planning to have another child. I often answer that it\’s an open-ended answer — I really can\’t say yes or no at this point. But I do know that for now, we are sticking to one.

There are many good reasons to have just one child at the moment, many of them stemming from practicality reasons, but as it turns out, there are also times I realize that it can be a lonely option — for Matthew especially.  Unfortunately, we don\’t have the proximity (or the number!) that affords us to have cousins and friends of the same age around often. As it is, Matthew enjoys being with other children more than other little kids; like any other eldest or only kid, he relates to older people better.  This is something I know that school will eventually address, but for now? For now, it is up to us to fill the social gap.

What it takes is just a little effort of setting playdates. We visited family recently for a swim, and Matthew didn\’t just have an instant barkada (set of friends) that day — he was immersed immediately in a family of three little boys and a doting ate (older sister).

Now who needs to feel the pressure of adding a new member to the family, when you can easily have gleeful companionship as this? Instant siblings, anyone?