One and Done: The Guide to Raising a Happy and Thriving Only Child

by Rebecca Greene

Only doesn’t mean lonely. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and even a family with one child is complete and whole. But every family is unique, and raising an only child can seem daunting.

As a therapist, the mother of an only child, and an only child herself, Rebecca Greene is an expert in the variety of issues that surround raising an only child, and she knows that parenting an only child is a complex endeavor, no matter how you came to be one and done. This comprehensive guidebook will explore the reasons why a family might have one child, discuss the benefits of having an only child, debunk the stigmas of only children, and provide tips and strategies for creating a happy home environment and building a strong community for your only child. It covers what to do when your only child is lonely, how to develop new family traditions, how to plan meaningful trips for your family, how to choose the ideal neighborhood, and more!

Packed with research, first-hand accounts, and tried-and-true methods and advice, One and Done is the ultimate resource for raising a happy and thriving only child.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Childrens, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 2023

Reviews

[Meowslily · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book is very encouraging which is to stick with your decision of having one child only. its a book ill read again in the future to maybe understand what my son be going through and how to deal with it. one is if the kid is asking for another sibling. there are clever way to say 'no' to him that we cant have another one with out the need to lie.

i just skip parts that doesn't relate to my situation. i am "one and done" by choice and also not my choice which is i might not survive the next one

[Christiana Yablonowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some helpful info about parenting an only at the beginning of the book, but the rest was just too general/about raising ANY child(ren) to really belong in this guide for raising only children. The general information was nothing new and didn't add to the educational value of the book for me.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I so rarely write reviews, but this book actively angered me. I finished listening out of spite. No substance, and a lot of subjective advice based in white, middle-class, capitalist values. Not only that, but the same points are repeated over, and over, and OVER. This book did not require a conclusion to every chapter restating the entirety of that chapter's contents.
In one section, the author suggests coming up with a family "Mission Statement" and gives the example that her family is an "ice hockey family." Their weekends and child's social life revolve around ice hockey, and they decorate their home with ice hockey paraphernalia. How could this possibly be considered a Mission Statement!? More importantly, is there any evidence supporting benefits of a whole family orienting their entire lives around a single interest? Other parenting books recommend choosing values like "honesty, creativity, and service" and structuring family life around those concepts. That is what I *expected* the Mission Statement recommendation to be, and it seems to actually make sense and align with mental health therapeutic practice. Just baffled by this one!
Finally, while we know that moms are more likely than dads to read parenting books, the author doesn't even pretend that her audience could include any caregivers other than moms. She also uses "he" and "she" exclusively as third person singular pronouns, meaning that all children and caregivers are assumed to fit within stereotypical gender binaries.

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One and Done was an alright read for someone considering staying a OAD parent. I enjoyed the beginning and “felt seen” reading about the complicated feelings around deciding to be one and done. The rest of the book wasn’t particularly mind blowing. I found the chapters were pretty obvious considerations for parenting any child, and didn’t take away any value. With that said, it had an easy to read style and good reflection questions for each chapter. If you’re an inexperienced parent I’d recommend it, but if you need deeper exploration or real parenting advice I’d skip it.

[Rachael Bollam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear lord who was the editor? This book is so terribly written and I do not believe it could have gone through any type of editing. Duplicate words, horrible sentence structure, repetitive repetitive repetitive. It feels like I’m reading a 15yo’s opinion column/blog post on the subject. And oh so many exclamation points! Seriously I cannot even continue reading this. I wish I’d have started reading it sooner so I could return it.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most concrete and helpful books I’ve read on parenting an only. She lays out common challenges and how to overcome them. It creates a bit of an overwhelming to do list though, so best consumed in chunks. I may pick it back up at some point in the future.

[Isaac · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was not what I expected. At first, specific topics for only children were covered, but later they were not and many topics and suggestions were repeated a lot.

[Larisa Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some thoughtful points, some obvious points, some helpful points, some things that created conflicting feelings.

[Chiomara Wilrycx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Begin was interessant maar verder vooral veel open deuren en algemeenheden.

[M.P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good ideas, but was often repetitive and did not seem evidence-based.