We have one child, a rarity of sorts in these here parts.

When many a mom hears this, especially if she’s got more than two, a comment is often made along the lines of “I guess it’s really quiet at your house.” My answer? “Sometimes.”

I work from home. Many a day after school, as well as Saturday or Sunday, Seth often finds our house a bit too peaceful for his tastes. He’s a man of action. And noise.

“Mom, can I have someone over?” he’ll ask.

 To which I often reply “Sure.”

It isn’t uncommon to find three or four kids over at a time. Most days we’ve got at least one extra child over four days out of the work week. We live in a neighborhood filled with kids. And usually as one might be leaving to eat dinner at home, another one’s finished with homework and walking over. So at times, he’s had three to five different kids over in one day. When we go out to eat, go to a movie or museum, we’ve often got an extra kid in tow. In the summer, if we go to the pool or park? We’ve always got at least one other accompanying kid.

Even over Thanksgiving, my son enjoyed (immensely, might I add) a three-day playdate with his beloved cousin Sophie. She’s an only child too, and just as social as Seth. If the whole extended family went somewhere, Sophie would drive with us or Seth would drive with her and her parents. He was in heaven.

We basically have an open door policy when it comes to playdates. Who ever shows up is whom the boy plays with. Sometimes I’ll call or text a friend to arrange a playdate but often I don’t have to — within minutes there’s usually at least one child knocking on the door asking Seth if he can play.

“Our house is a party house,” my hubby likes to say. For the kids anyway.  It is alot of fun to have a bunch of kids over, catching snippets of their conversations, laughing over their antics, and even at times removing splinters or bandaging scraped knees.

Seth doesn’t have siblings but he has learned the art of give/take. He’s known most of these kids since he was a preschooler. He knows their parents, siblings, and in many cases, even extended family members. He enjoys a sense of history and community with these kids. He’s making some wonderful memories and learning that friendships, if tended to properly, can grow into “family” too.