To point out the stats around sibling abuse in light of the near constant criticism of people who only have one child

[LlandudnoLlandudno]

I couldn't care less how many children someone has and am constantly flummoxed by the way in which people think that it is their place to criticize people who have only children and as a parent of an only child it is really starting to rile me.

I absolutely understand that there are many benefits to siblings, I have three myself whom I adore. However it is often painted as only positive and that everyone owes it to their child to give them a sibling. I am just posting this link to try to show the other side, that siblings aren't always positive and perhaps people should rein in their opinions.

Psychology Today

I'm a psychology researcher and Psychology Today falls squarely in the "pile of cr*p" category as far as I'm concerned. That article was written solely to flog the author's book.

Could you post a link to the "one child is joyless" thread please namechange?

That article is rubbish.

I have one - a fab girl. Health means I can't have more. No one has ever given me grief for having just one. She is the only "only" in her class. I check gently now and then to see if she is getting any grief about it. None so far. My dh has never mentioned any negative comments directed at him.
Who is such a loser that they would think it ok to say something negative?

I imagine a similar piece of research would show that most children, at one time or another, have been pushed or shoved by a child to whom they were not related: in the park, at school, in the playground, at softplay. So what is the solution? Never to allow your child to come into contact with other children?

And agree with pp that these frequent threads criticising one-child parents seem to exist in the OPs imagination rather than on MN.

but. it is incredible how often people make an offhand comment about 'only children' and then catch themselves when they are around me. Yes, I only have one. There are also many smug articles about the best gift you can give your child is a sibling. Hard to stomach when you always wanted more than one. So whilst the article not great, I can understand the OP feeling irked.

Parents of more than one, next time you go to make a comment about an only child, catch yourself. It is a fairly discriminatory way of talking.