How many only children are there in your DCs class?

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DD5 is an only child. For a while we were happy with one but for a year have been TTC#2 with no luck and I'm feeling extra rubbish about it tonight because her best friend at school (who was an only) has just told us she is to become a big sister. I feel so bad for DD.

Somehow it didn't seem so bad when her friend was in the same situation and I'm feeling terrible tonight. I'm 38 and wondering if it will ever happen.

I don't want DD to feel like the odd one out and I'm worried she already does. In her class there are 28 children, 8 are only children and 20 have siblings. What's the ratio at your school?

My child is the one only child in their class. When they did mention it a few times, we explained all the benefits of our situation.

They have since mentioned quite a few times about friends not getting on with siblings and the challenges that come with being a sibling. They're very happy as an only and embrace the positives.

5 out of 15 are onlys in DD’s class.

I know because it’s a small class so everyone knows each other reasonably well from playdates/birthday parties and also just general playground observations!

I'm also surprised so many people say they wouldn't have a clue. I did have to look at the class photo to make sure I remembered all the children in DS's class (year 1, so he's been with the same kids for about 18 months) but I can name them all from that picture and I know if they have siblings or not. I only do the school run once a week so I'm hardly madly over-invested, but I know from parties, small talk, the odd night out with some of the other mums in the class, the class WhatsApp group - it just seems like information I've picked up!

My Dd's class is about the same, I think. But to give you some perspective, the girls who've just become big sisters (age 5) really hate it, and whenever I see their parents they always tell me about how much they're struggling with it and how much they miss being their single, despite loving their sibling.

We ourselves had a second when DD was just 4, and she adapted as well as we could have hoped but her behavior was awful for months as kids struggle with big changes.

Don't feel bad for your DD. She has a good life now, and it might or might not be better/worse with a sibling.

5 including mine

We have six. There are 3-4 kids with big age gap siblings bet 7-10yrs so they are like onlys too

DD is an only ( well her dad has a toddler but she only sees her once a week) and I think she's one of the only ones in her class. she loves being an only, we can afford to do lots of things regularly (cinema, theatre, eating out and weekends away) that would be more of an occasional treat if there were more of us.

She is also autistic but very low needs, the Ed Psych said she had coped so well for so long because our house is quiet and calm with no siblings and the natural noise and spontaneity that comes with them.

Lots of people time a 4 - 5 year age gap to have a break with childcare costs so your at the prime time for people to add to their families right now.

DS is the only only where we are. Two kids is the minimum but three is the norm. When DS says he has no siblings his friends look at him as though he has two heads (I have seen this). Thankfully DS isn’t bothered at all.

There are 9 in my son's class and 2 are only children.

I wouldn't worry too much about her reaction though. At 5 her tears are likely to do with wanting to be the same as her best friend.

You worrying about it can't change anything at the moment. Plenty of women conceive in their late 30s and early 40s so please don't feel badly. If it's been a year have you been to the GP?

I think there's just one "only" in my DDs class. Don't know about DSs.

But in DDs there are at least 3 or 4 children who have MUCH older siblings, so are practically being raised as "onlys". We're talking about 6-7yos who have siblings in their late teens.

In 10yr old class is 1 only in a class of 30, none in 7 year old class.

Wow.. that is not an only 😱
That's the same as saying women who have partners who work a lot are single mums.

I have much older siblings, they were always my sisters.

Alright, calm down. Not the same thing at all. But okay.

3 out of 30 are only

1/18 and 1/22

2/45 in each of my dc's year groups, but there actually may be more (we've had a few new children transfer from other school so I don't know all of them anymore)

Ds is in a class of 19.
He has a little sister.
There are 5 only children but they're only year 1 and I would imagine at least a couple of them will get a baby sibling at some point.

@zingally I am calm 😂
Just sticking up for the parents of onlys. Having older siblings is not the same as having none, at all.

DS (only child) is 3 and in a preschool class of 30; I honestly have no idea how many of them are also only children. However in my immediate friendship group of those who have children similar age to DS, 5 of us have only children and 3 have 2 children. Reasons for having only children include secondary infertility; not wishing to go through IVF again; not wishing to go through the adoption process again; and simply wanting to stop at one!
I’d have loved a second child but DH not too keen (he’s 47 now, I’m 41) and DS is the only successful pregnancy out of 5. We are so happy to have a child and can give him absolutely everything because it’s just him.

DD is also an only child so this is something I’m conscious of. In her Y1 class there are 7 or 8 only children, which doesn’t seem like many but it’s a catholic school! Luckily her best friend is one of them, which really helps to normalise it for her in a world which sometimes seems like it’s entirely full of siblings (children’s TV etc.)

I'm in London - most of my sons friends are one and onlys. Out of the ten friends he sees most, 7 are one and onlys. They are totally fine. It's very sad for you but try not to worry about your dd.

Erm, that still isn’t the same as being an only child by any stretch of the imagination.

Only child with an only child here. 15 years ago my DD was 6 and in a class of 14 and 6 were only children. However there were four sets of twins in her year. It was a private school so think more people had started later, had IVF or maybe just one child as they were older. We were the youngest by a country mile in our mid 30s.

Daughter has never minded being and only, and neither have I. DH’s siblings are a bloody nightmare.

4 out of 23 in reception class.
My dear daughter is also an only child out of choice .

There are approx five only kids in each of my DC’s class. They are mostly Chinese.
The average number of kids per family is two.
Three kids have two siblings.
One kid has four or five 😲

Class of 26.

If I could go back I’d only have had one child. DH really wanted a second.