Tired of feeling so guilty having one child - please knock some sense into me!

[Livefreely]

I have a 7 year old - happily married and our child (we like to think) is a very balanced, happy child. Despite both of us working full time we have a lot of flexibility and prioritise time as a family.
Rather than focus on how lucky we are to have what we we have, enjoy our life, be grateful we are all well, all I do is continually dwell on how my child is unfortunate and not having a happy life because of not having a sibling.
I feel I overcompensate by having so many playdates, busy at weekends seeing friends and then in the Summer holidays its even worse because I feel guilty if they are playing on their own even for half an hour.
I feel if they had a sibling I wouldnt put myself under this constant pressure.
Why am I doing this to myself? Why do i feel they are having a terrible childhood when I know she is content and we are doing our best as parents?

I have an only. Both my sister and I would have been far better off as onlies so I don't feel guilty. Thanks to my sister I have no relationship with my one remaining parent as they have prioritised my sister's demands over my needs for nearly 30 years and it's caused too much damage. My dd will never be overlooked by me in favour of another and this can only be a good thing.

I feel this too. My child is 7. I'm remarried. My reasons are he was conceived in an crap marriage, I had a placental abruption too. I'm also 38 so would be knocking on for 40 by the time it happens potentially. As others say with 8 or 9 year gap would it be worth it ?

Happy only child here. As a child I actually felt sorry for friends with siblings. When I needed support when my parents individually became ill and eventually died I received so much support from my closest friends and extended family. I wouldn't change a thing.

I thought I'd be a better parent aswell tbh.

I had one sibling who was much older - we both felt we’d been lucky to have time feeling like an only child. I think it helped us both to get on well with each other.

We have one DC, it took us a long time to reach parenthood. It was never really possible to consider another because he was a menopause baby. I’ve always been at peace with this and don’t think he missed out on anything growing up. Inevitably, there were a few moments when he talked about having a sibling but it wasn’t a big deal.

DH grew up with 3 siblings, they squabbled quite a bit when they were children. There’s only 4.5 years between the youngest and the oldest and there was a miscarriage between siblings 3 and 4. The competition was intense, you can still see it sometimes.

My mother died last year at 85 .. she never forgave her parents for having only her by choice !

No reliable contraception when she was born so GM had a hysterectomy. Again through choice as children interrupted her relationship with GF?.

Her reasons were .. no one to celebrate milestones with besides parents' .. no one to be bridesmaid or best man .

No one to host Christmas.. Easter ... except her.

No one to care in later life except her... no one to talk to about dementia and the difficulties it bought .. no one except her .

My grandmother could of had more .. without it affecting her life . My mother was bought up by a Nanny ! If you want more but is proscribed or just not happening then this is one thing that is sad ... but from my mums point of view to choose it - is unbelievably selfish. That's what she would of said.

She died on the 13/3/2023. Her last words were ' I so wish I had someone else for you all .. a brother or a sister '

I think your mum should have got some counselling if being an only affected her so much. Sorry for your loss