Hoe can XML-string-to-PHP-array be modified so always an array is returned?

[cvlug]

When kids have multiple kid, kids is returned as array:
<show name="Family Guy"> <dog>Brian</dog> <kids> <kid>Chris</kid> <kid>Meg</kid> </kids> </show> </tv>
gives:
`[kids] => Array
(
[kid] => Array
(
[0] => Chris
[1] => Meg
)

            )`

When kids has 1 kid, kids is returned as name=> value:
<tv> <show name="Family Guy"> <dog>Brian</dog> <kids> <kid>Chris</kid> </kids> </show> </tv>
gives:
[kids] => Array
(
[kid] => Chris

This makes processing of output of XML-string-to-PHP-array
harder.
Hoe can XML-string-to-PHP-array be modified so always an array is returned?