What is your honest view about only children??

[Charley1988]

My view is that being an only child can POTENTIALLY be a great experience and that all the well known stereotypes of only children are a complete MYTH. The only POTENTIAL downside in my opinion is that an only child may SOMETIMES be more prone to a more rigid upbringing than someone with siblings - but please note I've put the most important words in this sentence in block capitals....

I only have one child as I couldn't have more. He tells me (and he is nearly 24), that he is happy without siblings, and would rather have me alive than dead trying to have another.

Both my parent were on lies. I have a brother, but we are not close, and only speak every couple of months, normally about Mum.

Gah, onlies.

I had 3 siblings and loved it. They were and are my best friends. For that reason I had 3. I am ever so grateful for my siblings and so far my 3 bring each other a lot of joy.

I love the way I've been flamed when what I honestly meant is exactly what SoreThroatToday said in their post

Stereotypes? I am not really aware of them. If they are that an only child is lonely? spoiled? then they are totally wrong.

I’m an only, not spoilt and lack confidence so don’t think I’m the second coming. My parents generally had an open door policy so friends gathered at mine. I grew up in a time when kids played in the street which reduced loneliness. Holidays were hard work at times but my mam would seek out people with similar aged kids. I’ve got two.

My niece is an only child, she’s only 6 but she is absolutely one of the loveliest, kindest children I know.

For what it's worth I totally agree when what Lilytheblue says

The thing is, people are individuals. Some people get on great with siblings; others don't. Some people are happy being only children; other wish they weren't. There's no 'right' answer. One is not better than the other. The right answer is what suits you as a family and doesn't leave you overstretched in terms of money, time and emotions.

I think only children can, and often do, have great childhoods. I also think it's much easier (assuming no SN/health issues) for the parents to balance their own needs/wants with parenting.

But, being totally honest, I think as an adult it would be a bit sad to have no siblings, and difficult when parents die or need care. But then I'm close to my sibling so a bit biased.

It's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Different combinations of siblings work for different families.

There are so many combinations and factors. An only may be surrounded by cousins, a child with siblings may not get along with them.

My sister is a generation older than me and so I had a bit of a mixed experience, a sort of only child childhood but I have nieces and nephews and a sibling.

I have one child and am choosing to keep it that way, for lots of reasons. But I try to not focus on myths / opinion etc about only children VS bigger families because they're not helpful.

I think it depends on the individual family unit and everyone should do what feels right for them and stop perpetuating stupid myths. Very little in life is that cut and dry.

WHAT IS WITH THE CAPITALS??

WHAT IS WITH THE CAPITALS??

It’s great!

I haven’t seen or spoken to my sibling in about ten years - I can’t bear them, or they me. I expect the only time we will ever meet again is when my mum passes away. Having a sibling or siblings doesn’t mean they will be friends or even get along.

One thing I would say is to have multiple because you want them to have support in caring for you etc is risky. My mum is one of six and is currently going through it, handling that entirely on her own. Closeness and support are not guaranteed either way.

I am an only child. I think I am quite well adjusted. I acknowledge my parents were quite invested in me and that was a bit too intense in my late teenage years. But we weathered it and I remain very close to them.

I had frequent contact with cousins growing up - went on holidays with them, Christmas etc. Felt part of a tribe so was not a lonely child.

I never regretted the absence of siblings and as my parents enter old age I still don’t.

All that said I was determined for reasons that are no doubt quite complex not to have an only myself. My children do not and will not have cousins. I have 3 children.

Like most things it depends on the circumstance. For me, growing up as an only child to parents who were not particularly interested in me (far from the stereotypical indulged spoilt only child) was very lonely. My parents made no effort to provide me with children to socialise with and I was left to my own devices a lot. I guess I've grown up self reliant and independent but it still gets lonely at times. To compound the problem, I have no cousins.
Obviously this is just my experience but it influenced my decision to have more than one child.

Ijumpedtheshark I think it can be great, definitely. When I said rigid what I meant was in my experience im an only child and I felt my parents expected me to be too much like them without taking into account other factors. But I still think that's not everyone's experience and it can indeed be a great experience 😊

My DD is likely to be an only child and I think I'm perfectly fine with it as is she. She gets all my time and attention (and money, shes a proper little Veruca Salt sometimes) She is also surrounded by cousins so doesn't really 'need' a sibling. I'm one of three sisters and when I was younger I hated it BUT now we're all older its the best thing ever.

I loved being an only child and my son has been just fine for the last 13 years HOWEVER what I realised when my grandparents died was that my dad and his sister needed each other and supported each other in a way that a partner couldn't. I won't have that and it scares me a bit.

I'm pregnant now and it's like having two only children a bit.

It’s difficult because it depends on the family. An only child raised by parents who like to go out and about and socialise with other parents and their kids and send their kids to clubs etc will raise more socially adept kids in general than parents who don’t do any of those things.

Macaroni46 - my experience was exactly like yours apart from the fact that I was anti social and didn't want my parents to find me friends to socialise with😂😂😂

Not all only children are only children by choice as many of the above posters seem to think. Maybe the family were only able to conceive one child. May they had a sibling who died. Don’t make assumptions that it was the choice of the parents.