OK I'm an only child and proud of it. There's nothing wrong objectively with being an only child or actively choosing to have one child. HOWEVER, when I was around 4, I can remember my own mum calling me 'spoilt' when telling me off - she said it in an abusive way. I can remember her also using the word 'ruined' to refer to me! It surprises me that she deliberately used the negative stereotype of the only child against me, especially as she's an only child herself! She's also an educated woman, so I'm really surprised with hindsight that she used this inaccurate stereotype as a term of abuse against me! I'm sure all you parents of one child reading this are more sensible and emotionally supportive of your children. I'd welcome your thoughts. Not surprisingly, this really affected my self esteem and turned me into a 'people pleaser'.
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