By Mother of only child

August 16, 2010 3:16 PM | Link to this

My daughter is 10 and is an only child. She has always made friends easily. I did have a sibling and it was hard for me to make friends in school because I was so shy, so whether you have siblings or not does not make a difference. Its based on your personality.

By Gr8ful Mom

August 16, 2010 10:11 PM | Link to this

My daughter has always had relationships with guys who are only children. In every single case — no exceptions! — the guys are self-centered, spoiled rotten momma’s boys. She’s finally met someone who has siblings… this guy knows that he is not the sole center of the universe! At last!!

By Sonya

August 16, 2010 10:59 PM | Link to this

Being an only child, I couldn’t disagree more with this concept. I made friends easily, never caused my parents grief, went to college (through graduate school). I think a lot goes into being a certain way; being an only child alone doesn’t make one a ‘social misfit’ or spoiled. I’ve known people with siblings that are self-centered and only children who are. Depends on the person; everyone is different.

By Emily

August 17, 2010 2:07 AM | Link to this

I’m an only child and I wouldn’t say I’m bad with social skills. It just depends how parents raise their children. If you have an only child you shelter and never let go outside… then of course they will be social misfits. If you set up play-dates and let your kids interact with other kids like my parents did, the kid can turn out just fine.

By Jeffrey Dahmer

August 17, 2010 5:13 AM | Link to this

I was an only child and I had lots of friends.

By jacque

August 17, 2010 6:44 AM | Link to this

Well, I am an only child and I must say that when I was younger I think I was a little socially backwards. But I think that it because of me not the fact that I am an only child. Once I got older I had plenty of friends and was very socially oriented.

By Jago

August 17, 2010 7:26 AM | Link to this

I’m self-centered, narcissistic, and socially awkward. My brother and sister agree.

By Daniela

August 17, 2010 7:41 AM | Link to this

I think there are benefits to being an only child as well as to having siblings. Not all of us have been blessed to have multiple children…but we do the best with the “only child” that we have. I do not intend to raise my only child as a spoiled, self centered “mama’s boy” as one above poster described her daughter’s experience with such kids. I think it has less to do with having siblings than having competent parents that know how to raise a healthy child. I think we are missing the boat here by focusing on just “siblings” -what about having abusive parents or living in povery or just being naturally shy?

By Melody

August 17, 2010 7:52 AM | Link to this

My daughter is an only child & is 8 yrs. old. She has lots of friends and is in the gifted program at school. She was reading on a 3rd grade level in 1st grade. Not all of us want a houseful (or are able to have) of kids and I do not believe mine is at a disadvantage because of not having siblings.

By Mother of 1

August 17, 2010 8:37 AM | Link to this

My ten yr old son is being raised as an only child. His sisters are 15 and 16 years older than him (from spouse’ first marriage). They never lived with us. My son is intelligent, well spoken and outgoing. Everyone compliments him on being a very well-mannered, respectful boy. He is thoughtful and very considerate of the feelings of others. The way a child is raised shapes their character and personality traits, not siblings, or the lack thereof. Some of us did not desire multiple children, maybe felt we could give our child more advantages in life by having only one.

By Puppin

August 17, 2010 10:11 AM | Link to this

My older brother abused me. I don’t mean normal sibling rivalry, I mean assault on which the police had to intervene several times. As an adult I moved several states away to evade him. When I hear these theories about how only children are deprived, I just shake my head.

By Lea

August 17, 2010 10:17 AM | Link to this

I was an only child AND a sheltered one. I don’t have a LOT of friends, but the ones I do have are for life. I was the proverbial ugly duckling, not popular or athletic - a bookworm. So perhaps I was a little backward, but I don’t have “acquaintances”.

By Proud mom

August 17, 2010 11:01 AM | Link to this

I believe it depends on the parents and the child. My daughter is an only child and as a teen one of her friends actually asked why she wasn’t spoiled because she’s an only. She said, “My parents don’t believe in spoiling.” She has always been well-behaved and considerate of ohters. Now she is a special education teacher-hardly a self-centered career. My daughter is a little shy, but I think she got that from her father, who is also somewhat shy and has a brother and sister.

By AllAlone

August 17, 2010 2:40 PM | Link to this

It took me a while to learn about the opposite gender when I was growing up. My friends who had sisters seemed to know all the details at a pretty early age. I think there was even some hanky panky going on.

By BigBrother

August 17, 2010 4:26 PM | Link to this

I had a couple of sisters. A little hanky panky is normal.