But having an “only” can’t really be that bad — can it? The answer to that is absolutely not. To prove it, we’ve rounded up a group of adults who have firsthand experience growing up in a single-child home. They shared the honest truth about what it’s like to be an only child — and why (in hindsight) it was basically the best thing ever! Image via Miramiska/Shutterstock My husband says I’m very impatient. I don’t wait for anything. I act on it. I go for it. As an only child, I did things myself. I became a doer. And I try to instill that in my kids. If you want something, you go for it. I’m a woman of action." — Erica D. Because I didn’t have any brothers or sisters to count on for company, I learned to fit in with others and make friends — I noticed that kids with siblings tended to spend more time with their siblings than with other kids. I have always been quite independent — I believe this is in large part due to essentially being on my own when my parents worked and attended college." — Stephanie H. More from CafeMom: 11 Working Moms Confess What’s Hardest About Trying to ‘Have It All’ Since both parents weren’t really around, I had to become super self-reliant at an early age. As a result of having to navigate the world by myself, I developed some very good survival skills that come in handy even today as an adult." — Treva S. As a younger child, I can remember long summer days at home. From time to time, I’d get together with neighborhood children to play, but most days I would spend time alone. For me, the activities I was drawn to tended to lean toward the creative side — perfect for an only child. I remember spending hours teaching myself to draw until I felt like I had perfected whatever subject had my interest at the time. Being an only also allowed me to be musical without interruption. Whether it was my piano or flute, I could always count on uninterrupted time to practice, learn a new piece, or just have fun with the sounds." — Tricia J. More from CafeMom: 15 Totally Weird Things Parents Have Caught Their Little Kids Doing I often wished for siblings because I thought of the fun we’d have, the secrets we’d share, and how they’d be someone to talk to when my parents argued, as they frequently did, or when things came up (having mostly to do with boys) that I knew I couldn’t talk to my parents about. It’s only when I grew up that I understood that having sisters and brothers wasn’t all it was cracked up to be in my mind — the fights and rivalries, not being in the spotlight all the time, and having to share parental love." –Karen K. My mother spent a lot of time with me, especially in my early years, so I was never lonely and seldom bored. Once I learned to read I quickly accelerated to a reading level far beyond my age and was consuming books from both the public library and the school library at a great rate. My mother indulged my voracious appetite for books by buying books for me as well as taking me to the library, and I was quite content to sit and read for hours on end. Having no sibs was never an issue for me as an adult, either." — Cynthia M. More from CafeMom: Our 12 Most-Pinned Pregnancy Tips of All Time I always remember people asking my parents ‘why did you only have one child?’ or ‘don’t you think she will be lonely?’ In my family, there are a lot of cousins, and I had a lot of friends so no I never felt lonely. People always commented on how precocious I was, which is a compliment to my parents. I was a joiner. Girl Scouts, 4-H, swim team, dance team, motorcycle racing, and stints in volleyball, gymnastics, and other sports filled my time. I always joked to my friends that my dad wanted a son because he was always teaching me ‘boy things’ … Today, I’m grateful that I know how to drive stick and jumpstart a car, and have a lifelong passion of riding motorcycles." — Sabrina W. One benefit of being an only child was that my mother and I were extremely close friends, and I was treated more like an adult. I received a perfect verbal score on the SAT, which I believe was in part due to having conversed primarily with adults from a very young age. Not having a sibling to play with meant I often sat in and eavesdropped on adult conversations." — Chantelle W. However, as an only child you get all the attention from relatives such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. So when looking back [I think] it’s more beneficial to have that kind of relationship because it stays with you much longer and in a more positive way. The things that are taught by an elder outweigh any sibling rivalry." — Alesha G. I grew up envious of my friends’ relationships with their siblings. I think of myself as an aspirational extrovert mostly with introverted tendencies. I wonder, had I grown up with a sibling if those characteristics would have turned out differently. Even with all of that, I wouldn’t give up the incredible amount of love, attention, and support that I feel from my parents. I’m sure children with siblings feel the same from their parents but as a 32-year-old, considering children myself, I can’t imagine being able to divide my time and energy (and finances!) among more than one child and still provide an equally engaged level of attention." — Jesse T. Interestingly people think only children have trouble sharing, but I find the opposite. Because we have no one taking our stuff without us wanting them too, I think we are more apt to share things and be generous with others. I think only children grow up faster and are more mature. My experience (and other only children I’ve spoken with) tended to be [that I was] raised very much around adults and treated like an adult. I think we mature quicker. We get everything. Not everything we want, but we are the only kid vying for resources, so we get it all. And we are (probably) the ones set to inherit things when the parents pass." — Kathy G. More from CafeMom: 21 Handsome Baby Boys Names Hailing From Classical Latin
title: “16 Only Children Share What They Loved About Growing Up That Way” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-12” author: “James Staton”
But having an “only” can’t really be that bad — can it? The answer to that is absolutely not. To prove it, we’ve rounded up a group of adults who have firsthand experience growing up in a single-child home. They shared the honest truth about what it’s like to be an only child — and why (in hindsight) it was basically the best thing ever! Image via Miramiska/Shutterstock My husband says I’m very impatient. I don’t wait for anything. I act on it. I go for it. As an only child, I did things myself. I became a doer. And I try to instill that in my kids. If you want something, you go for it. I’m a woman of action." — Erica D. Because I didn’t have any brothers or sisters to count on for company, I learned to fit in with others and make friends — I noticed that kids with siblings tended to spend more time with their siblings than with other kids. I have always been quite independent — I believe this is in large part due to essentially being on my own when my parents worked and attended college." — Stephanie H. More from CafeMom: 11 Working Moms Confess What’s Hardest About Trying to ‘Have It All’ Since both parents weren’t really around, I had to become super self-reliant at an early age. As a result of having to navigate the world by myself, I developed some very good survival skills that come in handy even today as an adult." — Treva S. As a younger child, I can remember long summer days at home. From time to time, I’d get together with neighborhood children to play, but most days I would spend time alone. For me, the activities I was drawn to tended to lean toward the creative side — perfect for an only child. I remember spending hours teaching myself to draw until I felt like I had perfected whatever subject had my interest at the time. Being an only also allowed me to be musical without interruption. Whether it was my piano or flute, I could always count on uninterrupted time to practice, learn a new piece, or just have fun with the sounds." — Tricia J. More from CafeMom: 15 Totally Weird Things Parents Have Caught Their Little Kids Doing I often wished for siblings because I thought of the fun we’d have, the secrets we’d share, and how they’d be someone to talk to when my parents argued, as they frequently did, or when things came up (having mostly to do with boys) that I knew I couldn’t talk to my parents about. It’s only when I grew up that I understood that having sisters and brothers wasn’t all it was cracked up to be in my mind — the fights and rivalries, not being in the spotlight all the time, and having to share parental love." –Karen K. My mother spent a lot of time with me, especially in my early years, so I was never lonely and seldom bored. Once I learned to read I quickly accelerated to a reading level far beyond my age and was consuming books from both the public library and the school library at a great rate. My mother indulged my voracious appetite for books by buying books for me as well as taking me to the library, and I was quite content to sit and read for hours on end. Having no sibs was never an issue for me as an adult, either." — Cynthia M. More from CafeMom: Our 12 Most-Pinned Pregnancy Tips of All Time I always remember people asking my parents ‘why did you only have one child?’ or ‘don’t you think she will be lonely?’ In my family, there are a lot of cousins, and I had a lot of friends so no I never felt lonely. People always commented on how precocious I was, which is a compliment to my parents. I was a joiner. Girl Scouts, 4-H, swim team, dance team, motorcycle racing, and stints in volleyball, gymnastics, and other sports filled my time. I always joked to my friends that my dad wanted a son because he was always teaching me ‘boy things’ … Today, I’m grateful that I know how to drive stick and jumpstart a car, and have a lifelong passion of riding motorcycles." — Sabrina W. One benefit of being an only child was that my mother and I were extremely close friends, and I was treated more like an adult. I received a perfect verbal score on the SAT, which I believe was in part due to having conversed primarily with adults from a very young age. Not having a sibling to play with meant I often sat in and eavesdropped on adult conversations." — Chantelle W. However, as an only child you get all the attention from relatives such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. So when looking back [I think] it’s more beneficial to have that kind of relationship because it stays with you much longer and in a more positive way. The things that are taught by an elder outweigh any sibling rivalry." — Alesha G. I grew up envious of my friends’ relationships with their siblings. I think of myself as an aspirational extrovert mostly with introverted tendencies. I wonder, had I grown up with a sibling if those characteristics would have turned out differently. Even with all of that, I wouldn’t give up the incredible amount of love, attention, and support that I feel from my parents. I’m sure children with siblings feel the same from their parents but as a 32-year-old, considering children myself, I can’t imagine being able to divide my time and energy (and finances!) among more than one child and still provide an equally engaged level of attention." — Jesse T. Interestingly people think only children have trouble sharing, but I find the opposite. Because we have no one taking our stuff without us wanting them too, I think we are more apt to share things and be generous with others. I think only children grow up faster and are more mature. My experience (and other only children I’ve spoken with) tended to be [that I was] raised very much around adults and treated like an adult. I think we mature quicker. We get everything. Not everything we want, but we are the only kid vying for resources, so we get it all. And we are (probably) the ones set to inherit things when the parents pass." — Kathy G. More from CafeMom: 21 Handsome Baby Boys Names Hailing From Classical Latin
title: “16 Only Children Share What They Loved About Growing Up That Way” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-08” author: “George Selders”
But having an “only” can’t really be that bad — can it? The answer to that is absolutely not. To prove it, we’ve rounded up a group of adults who have firsthand experience growing up in a single-child home. They shared the honest truth about what it’s like to be an only child — and why (in hindsight) it was basically the best thing ever! Image via Miramiska/Shutterstock My husband says I’m very impatient. I don’t wait for anything. I act on it. I go for it. As an only child, I did things myself. I became a doer. And I try to instill that in my kids. If you want something, you go for it. I’m a woman of action." — Erica D. Because I didn’t have any brothers or sisters to count on for company, I learned to fit in with others and make friends — I noticed that kids with siblings tended to spend more time with their siblings than with other kids. I have always been quite independent — I believe this is in large part due to essentially being on my own when my parents worked and attended college." — Stephanie H. More from CafeMom: 11 Working Moms Confess What’s Hardest About Trying to ‘Have It All’ Since both parents weren’t really around, I had to become super self-reliant at an early age. As a result of having to navigate the world by myself, I developed some very good survival skills that come in handy even today as an adult." — Treva S. As a younger child, I can remember long summer days at home. From time to time, I’d get together with neighborhood children to play, but most days I would spend time alone. For me, the activities I was drawn to tended to lean toward the creative side — perfect for an only child. I remember spending hours teaching myself to draw until I felt like I had perfected whatever subject had my interest at the time. Being an only also allowed me to be musical without interruption. Whether it was my piano or flute, I could always count on uninterrupted time to practice, learn a new piece, or just have fun with the sounds." — Tricia J. More from CafeMom: 15 Totally Weird Things Parents Have Caught Their Little Kids Doing I often wished for siblings because I thought of the fun we’d have, the secrets we’d share, and how they’d be someone to talk to when my parents argued, as they frequently did, or when things came up (having mostly to do with boys) that I knew I couldn’t talk to my parents about. It’s only when I grew up that I understood that having sisters and brothers wasn’t all it was cracked up to be in my mind — the fights and rivalries, not being in the spotlight all the time, and having to share parental love." –Karen K. My mother spent a lot of time with me, especially in my early years, so I was never lonely and seldom bored. Once I learned to read I quickly accelerated to a reading level far beyond my age and was consuming books from both the public library and the school library at a great rate. My mother indulged my voracious appetite for books by buying books for me as well as taking me to the library, and I was quite content to sit and read for hours on end. Having no sibs was never an issue for me as an adult, either." — Cynthia M. More from CafeMom: Our 12 Most-Pinned Pregnancy Tips of All Time I always remember people asking my parents ‘why did you only have one child?’ or ‘don’t you think she will be lonely?’ In my family, there are a lot of cousins, and I had a lot of friends so no I never felt lonely. People always commented on how precocious I was, which is a compliment to my parents. I was a joiner. Girl Scouts, 4-H, swim team, dance team, motorcycle racing, and stints in volleyball, gymnastics, and other sports filled my time. I always joked to my friends that my dad wanted a son because he was always teaching me ‘boy things’ … Today, I’m grateful that I know how to drive stick and jumpstart a car, and have a lifelong passion of riding motorcycles." — Sabrina W. One benefit of being an only child was that my mother and I were extremely close friends, and I was treated more like an adult. I received a perfect verbal score on the SAT, which I believe was in part due to having conversed primarily with adults from a very young age. Not having a sibling to play with meant I often sat in and eavesdropped on adult conversations." — Chantelle W. However, as an only child you get all the attention from relatives such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. So when looking back [I think] it’s more beneficial to have that kind of relationship because it stays with you much longer and in a more positive way. The things that are taught by an elder outweigh any sibling rivalry." — Alesha G. I grew up envious of my friends’ relationships with their siblings. I think of myself as an aspirational extrovert mostly with introverted tendencies. I wonder, had I grown up with a sibling if those characteristics would have turned out differently. Even with all of that, I wouldn’t give up the incredible amount of love, attention, and support that I feel from my parents. I’m sure children with siblings feel the same from their parents but as a 32-year-old, considering children myself, I can’t imagine being able to divide my time and energy (and finances!) among more than one child and still provide an equally engaged level of attention." — Jesse T. Interestingly people think only children have trouble sharing, but I find the opposite. Because we have no one taking our stuff without us wanting them too, I think we are more apt to share things and be generous with others. I think only children grow up faster and are more mature. My experience (and other only children I’ve spoken with) tended to be [that I was] raised very much around adults and treated like an adult. I think we mature quicker. We get everything. Not everything we want, but we are the only kid vying for resources, so we get it all. And we are (probably) the ones set to inherit things when the parents pass." — Kathy G. More from CafeMom: 21 Handsome Baby Boys Names Hailing From Classical Latin
