Parents With Only One Kid Are Pretty Darn Selfish

WOW. i am an only child, and this article is incredibly offensive. seriously, get off your high horse and realize it is not your place to judge only children and their parents. everyone is different, and deserving of respect, whether you choose to have multiple children or not.

This is a tough one. My brother and I are 8 years apart and have an amazing relationship that no one else comes close to. My husband is an only child, and is in no way any different in his interactions with others than any other person that did have a sibling. Together, we have one child right now, a two year old daughter. While we do plan on trying for another baby, we do not plan on doing so any time soon. Maybe in another 2 or 3 years. One reason is that with the big age difference between my brother and I, we pretty much never fought as kids. We spent tons of time together but had different enough interests, and I, being "older and wiser" knew better by that age not to pick on him. So I'd like for my daughter and her future sibling to be far enough apart in age that they may not pick on eachother like some siblings who are closer in age do. (This was stricly my experience and a bit of wishful thinking). The other (and biggest) reason is that we are fully enjoying our daughter right now, and we wouldn't have it any other way. We do want her to have a sibling one day, but for now we are a happy family of three and wouldn't change a thing.

i think the parents who have more kids are the selfish ones. in my view each new kid takes from the last.

Even if I COULD have another child (doctors said 'no way' & made sure I couldn't for medical reasons - like almost dying having my last child), I wouldn't.  you see my son has Autism. I have my hands full with him alone.  He's also involved in the YMCA Summer Camps, Taekwondo, and I try to make sure he attends every after school function they have, but you're right, that sounds like a spoilt rotten brat doesn't it?  Especially since I make him go through his toys at least once a year, and things he just doesn't play with anymore, he donates to the local thrift store.  Yep, I'm raising a selfish brat.  I ALSO don't use the TV (I don't even have regular TV stations, let alone cable - by design), or video games as my all-night babysitter either.  1 hour a night, IF he's had a good day, and he still has to read for a certain amount of time before he gets that too.  Totally rotten 10-year old... (yes, that's sarcasm).

My husband is an only child, but was raised without being spoiled rotten. If parents that have only one child don't spoil them and get away with everything then they can grow up to be wonderful people. It doesn't matter how many kids some people have, it's about how they are raised and taken care of that really matter.

I wish I had been the only child. This article is just plain stupid.

Well your first statement was accurate. You did piss alot of people off. Did you even think before you posted this nonsense. Who are you to judge other peoples parenting decisions? Not all siblings get along or even grow up to like one another.My daughter is 9 years old. She is a perfectly well adjusted only child. She may have a few more toys then other kids but she by no means is a brat. She is very kind, giving and sensitive. Every year we buy toys for the toys for tots program and she understands that some kids don't have what she has. She even offered to give away some of her own Christmas toys for other kids who have less. She plays well with others, we put her into preschool at 3 so she could have the social interaction i knew she was missing. She also in in gymnastics, has taken dance and did two years in girl scouts. Just because i(or anyone else) chose to have one child(regardless of reasons) does not make them selfish. It is a parents responsibility to make sure your child is happy and well adjusted regardless or how many siblings some one has. I have seen many cases where other kids are brats not just only children. Next time THINK before you shoot off stuff which you obviously know NOTHING about.

i agree most only children do turn out to be selfish little bastards that later turn into selfish adults that still believe they are the center of the world. there are exceptions to that of course but every person i have known that grew up as an only child was like that and i couldn't stand them for the most part. i know it wasn't there fault that there parents decided that they didn't want to have more kids, or that they didn't want to spend the extra money in raising a second child because there clothes or cars where more important to them... adults can be pretty selfish as well at times and i do think that parents that choose to have only one child are bing selfish. they clearly are not thinking about how not having a sibling will affect there child, and claiming that they only want one child to spoil just makes me mad. all they are doing in that case is teaching there child to be selfish!!!

im not saying that parents should have 4 or 5 kids just to teach there child to share, but atlest give them one sibling. because rather you like it or not your going to get old and die someday and then who is your child going to have in the world? who are they going to have there to grow up with and lean on when your too busy? friends come and go but a brother or sister is a bond that lasts a lifetime.

Funny, I often feel horribly guilty for having three kids.  I feel like my desire for more than one gives my children less attention and time with me than an only child would get.  I remember with great fondness the two and a half years with my firstborn.  He got all my time, all my attention, all my focus. I feel that I shortchange him and the other two now.  I chose to have more than one and love the family I have, but I often wonder if that was the truly selfish decision.