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Having one child can be seen by many as less stressful and manageable, this is not entirely true as children differ in personalities and needs.
One might have three well-behaved and organised children, while another has one, not so well-behaved, egoistic child. Being an only child does come with advantages and disadvantages.
Parentcircle.com shares following advantages of being an only child.
- No sibling rivalry: Children need a healthy competitive environment for their development but an unhealthy comparison from an overbearing sibling who is not able to acknowledge their progress and milestones, can cause a child to have self-esteem issues or less confidence while growing up.
- Undivided attention: Parents want the best for their children and always strive to give them their best in order for them to grow into meaningful individuals. Having one child makes it easier for parents to focus and plan their time, energy and resources singularly.
- Less financial pressure: The no divided attention also applies to finances, nothing is divided, this then affords parents financial flexibility with one than many.
Disadvantages include.
- Sharing responsibility: As we grow older, having siblings would mean having bonds that are equally strong and supportive. So, seeking help or providing support wouldn’t fall solely on the parents alone. The same is true vice-versa when it comes to supporting parents as the responsibility can be shared among the siblings. But an only child would have to manage it all on her own.
- Growing up alone: Although this can be subjective, as kids, it’s always the more the merrier. Growing up with siblings would give room for a child to compete and interact than those who grew up alone in their homes. Only children tend to overcompensate this factor by being social butterflies.
- Parental pressure: The undivided attention and focus can cause parents to push their child towards being an idealistic high achiever, making it stressful for the child to live up to their expectations.
