To ask about two child parents having an only child ?

[NookyBoo]

I’m the only child of two only child parents - born in the early 70s no less when such a situation was very unusual

your thoughts?

bi honest I can take it !

Sorry TYPO - TWO ONLY CHILD PARENTS NOT CHILD PARENTS!!!!

So? What's the issue ?

I think it makes sense in this economic and climate changing world.

What's the question sorry? Do I think it's unusual? I think it's increasingly a choice people are making due to the cost of living.

There's no sharing of inheritance from the grandparents/parents.

Yeah I mean I think it can potentially be a great thing if you’ve got supportive, mature parents etc - but to be fair that applies to every child - whether siblings or not - but I was a real outlier at school etc

This was nearly DH and I. He is one of three and I am one of two. I really struggled to conceive my 2nd and there is nearly a 6 year age gap. I guess there could be lots of reasons.

Do you have DC?

My first thought that may be a lot for you as your parents get older and start to need help.

Absolutely fine.

I think, even with siblings, its very rarely a completely shared responsibility. IME, there is usually one that will shoulder the most

I’ve been lucky with my DB, we’ve been 50/50 with my DM, it’s still exhausting but obviously not everyone goes through this.

my daughter is an only child, I’m an only child, my mum is an only child, my dad did have half brother 40ys his junior but they never met, my maternal grandmother was an only child.

Sounds sensible - neither parent has any experience of sibling dynamics or how sibling rivalry should be parented. (Speaking as an only with an only).

Both my parents and husband are only children and were born well before you were with my parents being born in 1930s. My only had only friends in the 80s. So whilst not common, there were only children. It’s now not unusual at all to have an only child.

I think that must be very tough, and unusual - to not have siblings, aunts and uncles, or cousins

I have a sister and she's a nightmare! Be careful what you wish for!

But not all families are close or live close enough to one another to have a proper relationship. I have eleven cousins... I only know one of them (who ironically is an only child)... the others I don't know from a bar of soap and wouldn't recognise them if they walked past me on the street. There's no bad blood, they just grew up in a different country and we haven't spent any time together other than at funerals!

DP is an only child and only grandchild (albeit one of his parents has a sibling). He’s the most emotionally healthy human I have ever met and his small family get along exceptionally well.

By contrast, I’m one of 4 and live on a different continent from my siblings whom I have virtually nothing in common with.

If DP and I decide to go down the baby route, we will definitely stop at 1.

My mum was an only child born in the 40s. My children have a large age gap, so eldest was an only child for a number of years. Long enough for him to start talking about how he wanted a sibling.
I'm not sure what you want to know about, but my mum has always had a network of lovely friends though she is divorced. Noticeably, our family is quite small now as there are few relatives left on her side. For me, I found I needed to invite other people's children along on days out for my son to have the most fun, so it didn't always feel as spontaneous as it could have.

I think the OP means it was unusual because their parents were also only children so there were no other relatives outside of grandparents on either side of the family.

I'm not sure what youre asking, but I was an only child, who had an only child - who because we split early in their life never had contact with their dad or that side of his family. So as my child has grown, his family circle is very very small because its me. I never had grand parenrs, all dead, i never had siblings, so they dont have siblings, aunts, uncles, or cousins. I do fret about their circle being so small, but in reality I cant change it now. Would I do it differently if I had chance? Probably.

As is the case in my family. None of us gave it a second thought.

Both my parents were onlies. I have a sibling, but they haven’t been on the scene for many years, so I may as well be an only especially when it comes to looking after elderly parents.

My 4 year old DS has no siblings, no aunts or uncles, no cousins and no GP.

It really doesn’t make much difference. You create a different social and support circle with friends instead. It feels very normal to us.

I think it is becoming more common but I do think when you get older it can be quite lonely. I know people will say they have friends but one thing I never considered was when a partner dies the one left behind has nobody to share the everyday chit chat with. I remember when my DF died, my DM was really good at trying to get out and about during the day. The loneliness came when she got home and there was nobody to say., how's your day, been , good thanks met Betty for a coffee. Oh thats nice how is she.
DM was lucky that either me or my siblings would phone her every evening for exactly this sort of chat, but if you are an only child and you work, have your own family and hobbies then you may not have time for thus sort of regular interaction