What is it like to be an only child?

Siblings are overrated. Sure, being alone a lot isn't the greatest thing... but part of growing up is learning how to be alone. The thing about siblings is that you are forced to share vital spaces with them and conflict can arise at any time. With siblings, it is almost impossible to have privacy and personal space.

Most people say only childs are spoiled... but honestly, the kindest people I have met in my life are only childs. In fact, the youngest child, and sometimes the first-born, are usually the spoiled ones.

I think having one or more siblings you love and get on with, who you can be great friends with and who you will always retain a bond with is far better than being an only child.

I think having one or more siblings who you constantly fight with, barely love, who are entirely different to you and who make living at home hell is far worse than being an only child.

So it depends.

It has its pros and cons, like anything. It's nice that you never have to worry about arguing with a sibling, sharing, or feeling unfairly treated by parents. I didn't ask for that much, but anything I did want my parents usually got me. I guess very far down the road, eventually you're the sole heir to your parents' things, no bitter feelings to deal with during an already hard time like that.

But, if you had a sibling that acted more like your best friend, it could be great. I wouldn't mind having perhaps a single sibling. But I doubt that I'd ever want more. It's kind of a weird feeling to know I'll never have a niece or nephew...well outside of marriage, anyway.

It's hard for anyone to determine without bias, but I think overall the pros of being an only child outweigh the cons. Primarily because you have a chance to get a totally terrible sibling that never does anything to deserve it but gets all the favoritism, easy breaks, best stuff, etc, while you get hand-me-downs and put on the back burner when you need/want things. Depends how fair your parents are, too.

Plenty of privacy and peace and quiet. I'm very introverted, so I don't get lonely. It would be nice to have the emotional support of a sibling though.

I'm not good at confrontation. I can argue with my parents, but I don't know how to defend myself against my 4 loud, bickering cousins when I see them on Christmas and Easter.

I mostly get what I want. I'm a good student, don't act up, take care of my things, and don't ask for much anyway, but I don't think that every child in a large middle class family would get a $1,500 laptop.

I like it. I think it would be annoying to have a sibling while you are growing up as a little kid, but i guess it gets better as you get older. I'm 20 and would like an adopted brother, but my house can't fit a fourth person.

I was never one. I wish I was one.

I am not an only child but I guess it depends. For some kids it's pretty lonely. Other kids spend a lot of time with cousins/friends so it's not a big deal. I personally love having a lot of siblings.

As an only child I always had an incredible Christmas. Never had to share my belongings. But i was a very lonely child. My consequences were harsh if i ever got in trouble.
I turned out to be fairly quiet and socially awkward but i'm harboring a reckless wild side that comes out every so often.

you dont have a sister/brother to talk to in your house, i just vented everything that pissed me off in a notebook, it sucks you dont have anybody to really talk to.
anywho....
it sucks.

It's very lonely. You have no one to play your games with, play pretend, or to share memories with. I watch my younger cousins get to play with each other all the time and how they get to make so many memories together. My brother was born when I was 11.... now I have somebody I can share things with. I wanted a baby brother or sister for five years.

Being the only child on Christmas is the BEST!!!!!!

I, myself, am an only child. It's quite good during childhood - getting all the family attention but later on in life I started to feel lonely and wished I had a same age brother for company. So think about it - attention on the outside but lonely on the inside. It almost makes you feel hollow sometimes. :'(

I like being an only child but of course there are some moments where I wish I had an older sibling to help me or younger one to take care of.

A bit boring and lonely. I guess it depends on your parents and your family size as well though.

I had a sibling and it wasn't always easy, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I lost my sibling pretty recently so I suppose I'm an only child now...I hate it because all I can think about is how much I want my sibling back.

It's ok.

One of my friends hated being an only child because she wanted a little brother or sister.

For my life it would of sucked being the only child. My mother was not really a mother until my brothers were born. It was very lonely and I was always around adults. Playing with adults, hearing adult stories. That is why I was raised so much more mature then my brothers. My mom probably would of never even tooken care of me if she didn't have more kids. I remember being very lonely. When I had siblings I was able to not be so alone. My mother wouldn't party she would stay a lot more when my brother was born. I really loved being around my cousins the most. I have a really big family and so I was never alone. But being the oldest grandchild was what made it lonely becuz I was the only kid. When i started getting cousins is when it started to be really fun. I love being around my cousins and living with them. We would play all the time and it was truly one of my favorite child memories. Having a big family kind of handicaps you because you don't become as social as people who are the only child. People who are the only child are really social. Yes some of them are very kind and giving but thats only because they choose to be at that moment. I know for a fact that if they had to share and if they had to live with someone they would have a fit. Meanwhile due to the fact I have had to share and live with ppl all my life when I have kids, having a husband, children or roommates wouldn't be hard for me to adapt. It would be so easy because that is what I had to do all my life. Sometimes I wish I could b the only kid in a small family but it scares me because it looks very lonely. Of course i would have anything and everything I ever wanted but people, love and friendships r more important then items. My granny ran away from home because she was so lonely and she gave birth to 12 children becuz she never wanted to be alone ever again (she was not the only child though). I wanted siblings so bad when I was the only child. i eventually hated my brothers but I am very grateful for them and I don't regret them being born. They were a life saver.

It was great. My sister was born when I was 10...

boring