I love having one child!

[CockyPants]

Partly thru age, partly thru medical ishoos, partly because DD was such a nightmare to feed that it put me right off having any more!

But in all honesty, I'm so pleased I have one beautiful little girl.

Good things about having one amazing child.
Its cheaper.
Easier to plan around only one child.
No sibling rivalry.
You can devote all your attention to them.
Only 1 lot of weaning potty training etc.
They often behave more maturely.
I find it easy to work as a team with my DD. no additional disruptive child!
Only 1 load of tantrums to deal with.

Am finding that quite a few girls at DDs school are only children. So my DD is not alone!

This is a lovely thread for those of us who are still getting our heads around having one child. I would probably have gone for two if circumstances were different. Thank you to the lovely posters who have said how happy they are. I often lurk around this section reading the 'lonely only' comments and feeling a little sad.

Yay to all the plus sides! I loved getting rid of the jumperoo, clonking great lump of plastic that I would have to keep for the next one otherwise!

Oh Christ yes, yes, yes and yes.

But for me its not so much 'I'm so happy to have one' as ' how the FUCK does anybody cope with two?'!

I just don't get it. They must spend every waking second doing laundry, cooking or in the car doing drop offs or pick ups. And that's just when nobody is ill.

Nobody asks me if I'm having any more. And if they do, I cheerfully say no effing way.

I love DS v much. But no.

No.

Nooooooo!!!

Love having the one here too. He starts school in September and I can't wait to take him out to a cafe for an after-school treat and a chat about his day - something I know I wouldn't do if I had two due to the hassle/stress/likelihood of it all ending in tears factor.

I think I am drawn to the idea of having another DC (although I wonder how much of it is due to social pressure), but when I begin to focus on what the reality of looking after two children would be like, I recoil in horror...

So in a way, I am contented with having one

Im 40 and dd is 5. Thinking of getting sterilised whilst the much younger mums are popping out baby number two. I did for a split second think mmm should we and then I realised Im very lucky to have the lovely daughter I have and I would hate to spoil our closeness. Sticking at one !

I didn't so much stick at one as get stuck at one but, either way, I am very happy indeed with how things have worked out. I have dear friends with 3 or 4 children, and those children are delightful, but in no way would I want to swap places.

Watched my DDs end of year ballet show. Just adorable!

I have 1 dd who is 3.1 and I do not want anymore. It is just me and her (I'm an L.P) and she is amazing, I do not want to change our dynamic! We have so much fun. People are shocked when I say that I don't want anymore (I'm in my twenties) but I have no desire to do it all again.

Me too! She is FAB.

Yes, why doesn't society accept that some mums only want one child?

I love having my one child - but I am lucky in that she's an easy child, has lots of friends but equally can play for hours by herself so I get alot of me time. If she had been a clingy child then I would have been trying for a sibling for her . But life is certainly very easy and chilled for us with just the one.

By the way, I've never had any raised eyebrows about having only one (by choice). Some people have asked me and I simply say, Only want one. I tell them that I was an only and was very happy. They never question further.

One is fun !
I have a couple of friends who have 3 & 4 DC and much as I'm sure they don't envy our family dynamic I sure don't envy theirs

We have an only by choice and she's great! I have no intention of curbing my spending where she's concerned

DD finishes school for summer today. This is when I'm relieved I only have 1 child!!

joins on the list.

one is fun.

I will happily take DS's friends and their siblings along to stuff if it suits both families, I will happily baby sit for friends with numerous children, but I do like going back home to just one.

This is a lovely thread to read. I am happy with my one and only DD but there are times when I have a wobble and feel guilty about not providing her with a sibling. It was hard enough the first time around, what with all the fertility treatment. I feel having one suits us as a family and I generally feel my DD will be just fine.

DD now 6, wants 3 children. By the time she is 12....is this a reaction against being a one and only?!
It'll be interesting to see what our little ones decide to do.

Oh, I don't feel at all guilty about not providing a sibling. DD would lose out in so many ways, another child would completely change the dynamic of our family.

No, Cocky, it's not because she is an only - it's because she is 6

No 1 benefit is no squabbling. Without any exception, siblings we have contact with argue and quarrel over petty things. All of the time.

I would have loved another and I was more keen (70% sure) to DH (5%) it didn't happen. Like others, I medical ishoos during pregnancy and was seriously ill afterwards. Just yesterday I answered 'it wasn't meant to be' to the DM of someone going through unsuccessful IVF attempts (and should know better) .

Very happy with my lot. Wouldn't change a thing.

GlassOfPort - I think I understand what you mean - I love my family, we have one DS and he's great, 2.10 and just getting into the swing of life, he's potty trained, eats well, sleeps very well and gets on with everything - but I do sometimes feel like I'm doing him a misjustice by not providing another - and this is because society says "where is number 2?"

But then again when I look at the big family threads they have to deal with a similar vein of questioning! "why 3+ kids, don't you think that's wrong?" - so 1 is too little, 2 is perfect but 3 is too many - says who? Why?

And god forbid you don't have 1 of each if you do have 2!

It just winds me up so much! I am 24 I do not know what the next 15 years of my life and going to be like, how can I answer "will you have anymore?" without being berated for saying "not just yet"

Grrrr ha ha

Me too. So happy with my one dd and no desire for another.

yes, another happy mum of one here, too. I did used to have 'twinges' about having another, but I'm 100% in my decision now. I love my daughter and she's a happy, well adjusted little girl.

(it does help that dd's friends, 2 sisters who live near by are constantly, constantly squabbling and falling out, and dd just views this with bewilderment :))