mothers answer please,l need your opinion?

Question

do you regret making decision to have only one child,when you are physically fit to raise many children.

2)is your child(boy or girl)happy to be the only child in the family

3)is he or she jelous when she sees her friend with there younger brothers or sisters.


just wanted to know cos l have a baby boy now,due to the stress of pregnacy,l am afraid to be pregnant again,but l fell pity for my son,l dont know if when he grows up,he will be sad to be lone without brother or sister to talk and play with.

Answer 1

I had two difficult pregnancies, so I really empathize. I'd like to say - don't decide now! Wait unit your baby is at least 6-12 months old to even address the issue. I didn't plan on having a second one so soon, if at all, after my difficult first pregnancy. However, I got pregnant while nursing heavily, so it was decided for me. I am very glad it was! Now I only wish I had gone on to have more children - I have enough love and physical resources to do so. So, please, don't make any decisions for a while. Hang in there - you're going to make a great mom!

Answer 2

I have 3 children so I cannot answer from the point of view of only having one child. What I can say is that each pregnancy will be different so do not fear another pregnancy. If you chose to have more children then they will look out for each other in later life.

I have a friend who was an only child - he is 78 now - but he does not regret being an only child as he had a pile of cousins from both sides of the family.

What is important, if you decide to have no more children, which is okay if that is what you decide, is that you give your child an opportunity to mix with other children be it cousins, neices or nephews, or a local playgroup. Children will make their own friendships and relationships, and some of them will be enduring over the years. So it is not important in that sense to provide your child with other siblings, just the opportunity to mix with other children their own age.

Answer 3

Well I have 3 children and I am thinking about having another one now!
I don't think the child will be scarred if you decide not to have another child!
I know people that have only one child and it is normal for them!
Although I think it is great for families to have multiple children, everyone has different opinions!!
I take it that you are still able and young enough to have children, so please don't make the decision now.I think you should think about it some more, because children are such a blessing and each and every pregnancy is different....you will be amazed!!!!

Answer 4

Generally I Have found a single child is ok becuase that is all that they know. But, I also know having brothers and sisters make a world of diff. Thinking back on my childhood, my sisters and brothers were everything. Every memory, includes one, all, or some. There were 6 of us. It was (is) beautiful. First 3 were the older set, then, the younger set. Parents couldn't have done a better job. My vote is to give them a sibling.

Answer 5

good morning, i was an only child, i always wanted a brother or sister. didn't so i ended up with alot of imaginary friends. now that i'm grown up i had 4 boys and one daughter, and we took in children too. if stress of be preg. again is bothering you, maybe find a support MOMMY group-sounds corny but sometimes having folks around going thru the same thing-being preg.-is good - cuz you can bounce things off them, maybe some one is having same problem and they might be able to help. mostly you need to decide what's best for the whole family-everybody is diffrent

Answer 6

While as a mother and a only child myself. When I was younger, I wanted my parents to have another siblings besides me. But, as I got older, I wasn't worried about it. I didn't have to share any of my toys and etc. Plus, I had friends. I had a son and he is the only child. Sometimes, I ask myself the same question. My son sometimes get jealous when his step brothers come around. It's all abou the attention. Good Luck.

Answer 7

I think that sometimes, only children become lonely; however, anyone can become lonely.

If you provide an active social life for your child, and he or she is involved with other kids (preschool, library children's groups, extra activities when in school such as sports, the scouts), then i don't think that an only child is any worse for the wear!

My kids were 12 years apart, so it was like i had two only children... each of them did just fine, had friends and were active.

It's up to you, but don't "feel sorry for" your child.... he has YOU !!!

take care.

Answer 8

WHEN I BRUNG MY BABY BOY HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL THE FIRST DAY MY OLDEST SON DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO THINK WHEN HE SEEN HIM IN HIS CAR SET HE JUST GAVE HIM THIS EVIL LOOK TO BE TRUTHFUL WITH YOU ....... BUT AFTER A FEW MONTHS HE GOT USE TO IT...... HE WANTED TO CHANGE HIS DIPER AND LOVE ON HIM BECAUSE HE SEEN ME DO IT WHICH IS A GOOD THING ... NOW THERE TWO PEAS IN A POD BUT THE ONLY THING THEY FIGHT ABOUT NOW IS THE TOYS ...... MY YOUNGEST DOESNT TAKE ANY BULL FROM THE OLDEST ..... LOL ..... THINGS WILL RIDE OUT FINE SO DONT WORRY ABOUT IT SO MUCH IF YOU WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE ....... BUT BEING AN ONLY CHILD IS LONELY AND SUCKS BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY CHILD GROWING UP !!!!!

Answer 9

Yes, I regret only having one child.
My child is a gril.
She does wish she had a sibling.
She she's the relationships of siblings and knows she is missing out on something.

Answer 10

Why Are More Parents Choosing To Have One Child?
Changing family patterns, economic concerns, and new roles for women may contribute to parents' choosing the one-child option:

Divorce rates (higher than ever before) and the tendency for couples to marry later in life may contribute to shorter marriages and potentially fewer children

Inflation and high unemployment, contributing to reduced family income, may encourage parents to have smaller families

The majority of women are now employed before they have children. The benefits of this added income and involvement in careers may lead women to postpone childbearing and bear fewer children

Are Only Children Different From Children Who Have Siblings?
Research on intelligence, achievement, affiliation, popularity, and self-esteem suggests that many popular beliefs about the only child are unfounded (Falbo 1983b). The results of some of these investigations are briefly summarized below:

Intelligence
Although report findings conflict, only children, like first-borns, generally have been found to score slightly higher on measures of intelligence than younger siblings. Diverging results of intelligence research may be explained by focusing on factors within the family unit that affect intellectual development. Such experiences might include, for example, parents' provision of an "enriched" intellectual environment.

Achievement
As is the case for intelligence, achievement (both academic and other kinds) in only and first-born children appears to be slightly greater than for later-born children. To explain this phenomenon, theorists have considered the specific relationship between parents and children. Presumably, achievement motivation originates in the high standards for mature behavior that parents impose on their only and first-born children.

Affiliation
Some research indicates that only children may be slightly less affiliative than their peers. Specific research findings have shown that only children may belong to fewer organizations, have fewer friends, and lead a less intense social life. However, these investigations have additionally noted that only children have a comparable number of close friends, assume leadership positions in clubs, and feel satisfied and happy with their lives.

Peer Popularity
Research on the popularity of only children also has been mixed. Some findings suggest that, because only and first-born children have no older siblings with whom to interact, they acquire a more autocratic and less cooperative interactive style than do other children. Other research has indicated that likability ratings from same-sex grade school classmates were highest for only and last-born children. Again, researchers speculate that parents may play a role in the development of behaviors influencing peer popularity.

Self-Esteem
Like peer popularity studies, investigations of self-esteem in the only child have netted mixed results. Different investigations have variously indicated that children in each of three groups (first-borns, last-borns, and only children) possess the highest level of self-esteem. Consistent findings may prove possible if further consideration is given to the types of self-esteem measures used, the age of the subjects, and parental and sibling contributions to the development of self-esteem.

Are There Any Advantages To Being An Only Child?
Most current data appear to indicate that only children have a slight edge over children with siblings on measures of intelligence and achievement--and that they suffer no serious interpersonal deficits. In fact, only children may have some advantages as a result of their special status: more attention from parents, freedom from sibling rivalry and comparison, and access to more family resources, to name a few.

What Can Parents Gain From Choosing The One-Child Option?
Reduced conflict in dividing time and attention among children, greater financial flexibility, and a more closely knit family unit may encourage many parents to limit their families to one child.