What is your opinion on Only Children? Are you an only and if so, are you happy you never had siblings?

Question

Children who are an only child.

Answer 1

I'm one of one and I had always wished that I would have had a brother or sister. It would have been great growing up.

Answer 2

I am an only child. I am also a 30 yr old father of three. I have lived the solo child experience and observe the multiple sibling experience daily. Only children tend to be more independent and opinionated. I've been told that's not a good thing, but why should I care what other people think ;)

To answer your question, yes I wish I'd grown up with siblings. However, I've never had any. It's much the way single people want to be married and married people long for the days of being single. Couples without children wish for babies and folks with kids sometimes want a break. The grass is always greener on the other side.

Most people with sibs think I was lucky and I feel the same about them.

Answer 3

It's 50/50 with me. There were times I was very lonely. However, I would have been a bullying older sib or a pain in the neck younger sib, so it's probably for the best. I also had to deal with the stereotypes of being called spoiled. When my parents passed on, I had to shoulder the entire responsibility of managing the estate. It was exhausting. But then I thought, if I had sibs, we'd probably be arguing over who gets what. My husband comes from a huge family and the pathology is unbelievable. Every one of those siblings wishes they were an only child. My son is also an only; he recently said he'd love to have a sibling so he wouldn't get ALL the attention, whether he was doing good or bad. I'm glad there are more only children these days; we don't have to feel like freaks.

Answer 4

I have two 1/2 siblings that I lived most of my childhood with until fostercare. Then I had afew foster siblings; but still it was like being an only child because I was treated differently. Left out of family things never attended Mother or Father events or was able to do anything special with them. I was basically the live in childcare. Now that I'm older I have some contact with my real siblings but we aren't close.so hear I am; Only.

I guess thats why I have two children and work around children. I love them & I want to make sure that every child that I have contact with is aware of their uniqueness! Children are special no matter what number they come in.

Answer 5

They say the grass is always greener on the other side. I've had the unique experience of being both an only child and having brothers. How? I was an only child until my father remarried and had more kids when I was 18! As an only child and the first grandchild, I grew up being spoiled rotten, but not a spoiled brat. I was an only child, but never a lonely child, as my parents had friends with children about my age and we played together as we grew up. Having twin brothers born to my step-mother when I was 18, gave me siblings. I count myself fortunate to have had my parents and grandparents undivided attention for 18 years. And I wouldn't trade my little brothers for the world! I am glad they are here and I'm also glad they came after my childhood was over. I can honestly say that I have never felt a smidgen of jealousy toward them or the attention they get. As an adult, I'm happy to be on the giving side of all that for them!!!!

Answer 6

I'm in kind of an odd situation, because I am my mother's only child and my father's 4th. My closest sibling in age is nearly 10 years older than me, so I was raised as an only child for the most part. Although when I was young, I hated being by myself and not having someone to play with all the time (we lived in a rural area), there were a lot of benefits to being an only child too.

Firstly, I didn't have to share my parents. When they were home, they could help me with homework and we could spend time together, which is something many of my friends didn't have.

Secondly, being alone encouraged me to have a healthy imagination. I became very creative and still do many creative projects including art, scrapbooking, crafts, and writing.

Third, I learned to love books. I read all the time, which I think really helped me in school.

Lastly, being surrounded by people older than me most of the time, I learned to express myself like an adult. I learned how to act professionally and maturely in different situations.

Regardless of whether there is only 1 child in a family or 10, I think the most important thing is making sure that every child feels loved. I also think that parents should make sure that each child gets some alone time with mom & dad, so that parents can recognize each kid's special abilities and interests.

Answer 7

I have a brother, but i've done a lot of research on this... With a very close parental relationship (like stay at home parent), an only child can turn out just perfectly happy. But it's extremely important to have play dates and socializing with children of a close age.
I think if a child has a large family, they tend to feel like a part of something and later in life they aren't as lonely. But it's really the parenting and socializing- not just the siblings or lack of...

Answer 8

I have a sister but she moved in with my grandparents when she was 12 and I was 8. So I felt like an only child growing up (she never came and spent weekends with us or anything but I would go to my grandma's to see her)

So going from having a sibling to kinda not, that was really hard. I was lonely all the time. Didn't help that I knew what I was missing out on. Now that we are older and keep in close touch I am sad I missed out on sibling time; Someone to look up to, tease you, or help you with all that stuff you just can't ask your parents.

*I did get spolied a bit*

I have 2 kids right now and want just one more. I didn't want my kids to grow up alone. And if something happened to my husband or myself I want them to have someone else to turn to and not feel like they have no family left.

But everyone has different ideas and if one child is what is good for you then don't let anyone change your mind. Plenty of people grew up as an only child and are completely fine.

Answer 9

My parents couldn't have children, or that's what they thought. They adopted 3 children and then suddenly got pregnant with me. It was a miracle. Although I've never been close to my adopted siblings because of our age difference it would be weird not to have them. But I wouldn't mind being an only child. I think as children grow up, they need their siblings more. The death of parents is always easier to handle when you have a brother or sister around to talk to.

Answer 10

No, no, no. I'm an only child and everyone with siblings thinks it would be great to be an only child. Personally, my whole life I would have loved to have a sibling (I guess that's what friends are for)! I currently have 1 child and I will be sure to have another just so she won't be an only or should I say "lonely" child!

Answer 11

I'm an Only. People always say, "Oh you were spoiled" and I wish that I could give them a video of my life. I had a very strict father and I used to look into houses at night when we were driving down the street and wish I lived there-there were more children. I became friends with people of all ages because my parents were older, too-they were 20 years apart. There are positives and negatives, but now that I am older, one negative is that I have all the responsbility of caring for my aging parents and no one to help support me in that role. Sometimes it can feel very overwhelming. I love my parents dearly but I do wish I would have had siblings-it's been a lifelong wish.