I don't realise thre was a whole area for one child families - it's a good talking point.
We made a conscious decision to stop at one but not initially. I had always assumed we'd probably go for the standard 2 like most people do but after I had my DS I was waiting for the urge for another one to come over me (which people had assured me it would and I'd know when the time was right) and it never did.
We were set up in our home, which we love, and having another child would have probably meant a move which we didn;t want to do. Also, for me as a natural born worrier and control freak I knew almost instantly that I didn't want to double up on the worry and stress that another child would inevitably bring (not to mention the expense).
I knew I would get double the love from another child (which everyone assures you you do) but I aready felt I was giving and receiving more than enough love to and from one.
So, in short we were happy with our decision. We'd both wanted a boy, which we got, he was perfect and was a dream baby to look after. So decided to quit while we were ahead.
When DS was about 4 I had a pregnancy scare (coil failre) which thankfully turned out not to be a pregnancy in the end. This horried us and brought home to us just how much we really didn't want another child. After this DH had the snip and were extremely confortable with our choice.
I think that the size of your family is a very personal decision to you as a couple. Like with everything, it's horses for courses and what suits one couple will not suit another.
Our DS is 8 now and has lots of friends, so there always seems to be someone in our house, or he's off playing with them. he has close cousins too so doesn;t go short of company. I think he has the best of both worlds really.
he has never once mentioned to me that he'd like a sibling and I think that is to do with the fact that he kows we are totally relazed about oly having him. I work with a lady who has one son (ICSI treatment) and is devastated that she can't have more, both for herself and because she's feels guilty that she can't do it for her son. She tells me that her son often tells her he longs for a sibling and I truly believe that's because he's picked up her feelings.
If when my DS is old enough to have a familyof his own he decides that he loathed the expereince of being an only child then he can have a huge family if he wants. That will be his choice. Our choice as his parents was to just have him and it's a choice we're totally comfortable with.
Our DS has a great life, whcih doesn;t differ much at all from any of his friends who have siblings. Gone are the days when the only child was the odd ball who stood out like a sore thumb because there experiences were so far removed from children with siblings and they only spent time with ageing parents and aunts and uncles. Life has moved on and times have changed.
My DH was one of 8 and it was something which greatly influenced his choice to only have one child himself.
I have one sister but am no longer in contact with her and she has been the cause of so much heartache and pain in my life. So. I'm like an only child too but I have many wonderful close friends who I share a great bond with.
I don't suppose I'll really know what my DS thinks of being an only child until he's an adult really. But for now he's just as happy and well adjusted as the next child. His teachers have told us that only children stand out in some ways because they seem more adult (especially in conversation and can seem more outgoing) but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. He has no problems in relating to other children at all.
I thoroughly enjoy being a parent to an only child and wouldn't swap my family for a larger one for anything - just as I'm sure those with several children wouldn;t swap places with me.
As long as everyone's happy that's all that counts