Ever since we made the firm decision that our daughter would be an only child, I've been hearing the criticisms. She's going to be spoiled! You're screwing up her whole life! Start saving for therapy now!
I could write another post defending my choice to be one and done. But I'm not going to. Folks, I am waving the white flag. You are right! My only child is already showing signs of being all kinds of screwed up. Behold the evidence!
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1. Our family of three cannot play board games that require four or more players. Sorry kid, you're never going to get to play Apples to Apples, so you better get used to Monopoly.
2. She farts, and we know it. You can't blame that kind of smell on a dog.
3. She has her own room, which she has to clean. By herself. After she messes it up.
4. Her teachers do not have a warning of what it is going to be like to teach a kid from our family. They don't realize she's full of piss and vinegar until they actually meet her.
5. There's no one to lord it over when she brings home all As on her report card. Maybe we should send the dog to obedience school?
6. She has never been rescued in the middle of a stern talking to by someone distracting Mom with a dirty diaper, fall down the stairs ...
7. I know who left that bicycle in the middle of the yard, and I do expect her to move it. By herself.
8. It was a total shock on the first day of kindergarten when a little boy threw sand in her face ... none of the adults she'd hung with prior to that ever dared do something so juvenile.
9. No one gets her jokes. The last time the other members of this house thought bathroom humor was hilarious was at least two decades ago.
10. It's bad enough thinking your parents had sex enough times to create each and every one of your siblings. Now imagine the one time they had sex (because you know!), it was to make you ...
OK one and done parents, go ahead, add yours. What have you done to totally screw up your kid?
Image by Jeanne Sager
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Comments 70
Ultimately it's each persons individual decision, and not my place to judge. Some kids thrive on being an only, others of us, not so much.
I'm nervous but this was in Gods will :)
I had one son. He is the love of my life. I get compliments every day on him, he is 20yrs old now. My only regret in not having more is that he has no one to turn to for aid in caring for his father or I as we age or pass, it all falls on him. He says he doesn't mind. His gf is a sweetie too and says she wants to help, I think it has to do more with how you raise them.
I don't think there is any right number, just whatever works for your family. There are obviously drawbacks and benefits to both only children and siblings. I was the middle of three and it was great. I love my sisters now and I did then. The best part of having sisters to me is now that we are older. When our father passed away I could look at them and know that they were the closest thing I had to anyone knowing what I was going through. And they make good friends as adults. They are both closer to each other than to me, but that's ok because I'm closer to our Mom. I guess the worst part of having siblings was all the fighting when we were kids. But I think it taught us how to fight. See, my mom having 3 kids worked for us. Just like some people having only children works for them.
Well, growing up an only child, I often found myself very lonely, which made me VERY creative. So while it was a good thing for my creativity, it also was tough. And only children will bear the sole responsibility for aging parents and things of that nature....all very difficult even WITH assistance, let alone dealing with it all by yourself. My oldest son is 19, and had I not met my husband, he'd likely have stayed my only child. However, 11 years later, I welcomed another son. Since my oldest was already near teen aged, we had another 3 1/2 years after the second child, so they'd have a brother/sister to actually grow up with. So there are three brothers, and I wouldn't have it any other way.