I'm Li Ming, and I'm retired this year. Looking back on the past years, I gradually realized an important fact - don't just have one daughter.
Many years ago, my wife and I welcomed our first child with great enthusiasm. At that time, we had no special expectations, just wanted to raise our children healthy and happy. At that time, it was not important for us to have a boy or a girl, as long as the child was safe and healthy.
Our first child was a daughter, and we named her Xiaoyu. The moment she was born, our world seemed to brighten up in an instant. The light rain brings endless laughter and warmth, and she is the most important part of our lives.
However, as time went on, I gradually realized that I had made a mistake in educating my daughter. Since we only have one daughter, my wife and I have unusually high expectations for her, and we want her to be the pride of the family. We give her the best educational resources and try our best to meet all her needs, but we ignore the important fact that children need equal love and companionship.
As Xiaoyu grew up, I realized that she needed to get along with, share, collaborate and compete with her peers. Although she is intelligent, her chronic lack of experience growing up with her siblings has left her with some difficulties in interpersonal communication and teamwork.
When I started to engage with children from other families, I saw a special bond between them. They have a common growth environment with each other, they learn to be tolerant in quarrels, and they learn to tolerate in sharing. These experiences shape their personalities, making them more social and adaptable.
I think of the days when my wife and I took care of Xiaoyu, we held her in the palm of our hands and cared for her, but we never provided her with a partner who could grow with her. I looked in the mirror and asked myself, "Are we doing the right thing?"We gave her enough love and care, but did we ignore the loneliness in her heart?”
Years later, when Xiaoyu grew up**, she told me that she had longed for a sibling, a partner to share her joys and sorrows. She herself struggled to learn to be independent and adaptable, but still felt some regrets.
It made me reflect on myself deeply. As parents, we not only provide material support and love, but more importantly, give our children a loving and warm environment to grow up. We should try our best to meet the needs of our children so that they can have more joy and growth in the company of their siblings.
Although I can't change the past, I am determined to tell other young couples: don't have just one child. Giving children a diverse family environment where they can experience the interaction and sharing between siblings will have a profound impact on their development.
In life, we are faced with many choices, and some of them may have important implications in the future. As parents, we should pay more attention to our children's inner needs and give them more companionship and support. One more child means more love, more pain, and more responsibility, but it will also bring more joy, warmth, and meaning in life.