MYTH: Only children are lonely. FACT: Only children can have as many friends as their peers with siblings do.
As adults, studies find time and again that adult only children enjoy the same happiness and life satisfaction as everyone else. They do not suffer from more depression, anxiety, or neurotic disorder than those with siblings.
The only child syndrome theory suggests that a child without siblings may be more likely to lack social skills and be spoiled, lonely, or selfish.
Research has showed that, while having one child is associated with a gain in happiness, having a second is associated with a drop in happiness for mothers.
An only child is more content and confident than those with siblings, reports The Observer. Happiness in children declines once there are more siblings in the home, an Understanding Society research study has found.
In terms of happiness, a compelling argument for having an only child comes from science that strongly indicates that mothers with one child are happiest.
Never having been forced to share with siblings, some only children may be possessive of what they believe belongs to them, both literal possessions or simply not including you in decisions that affect their wellbeing. “Only children tend to look at what's theirs, as being theirs,” explains Winter.
Since they don't have siblings to interact with, only children are believed to be lonely and poorly socialized. They are also believed to be incapable of compromising or working well with others, since they haven't had to share their toys, space, identity, and parents' attention with others.
Families may have an only child for a variety of reasons, including: personal preference, family planning, financial and emotional or physical health issues, desire to travel, stress in the family, educational advantages, late marriage, stability, focus, time constraints, fears over pregnancy, advanced age, ...
There is evidence to suggest that healthy sibling relationships promote empathy, prosocial behavior and academic achievement. While healthy sibling relationships can be an incredible source of support, unhealthy and toxic sibling relationships may be equally devastating and destabilizing.
A total of 11,180 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective rate of 95.7%. 35.2% of only children and 38.8% of non-only children reported depression symptoms, while 20.5% of only children and 24.7% of non-only children reported anxiety symptoms.
MYTH: Only children are lonely. FACT: Only children can have as many friends as their peers with siblings do.
Grow your family to at least four children! According to a study out of Australia's Edith Cowan University, parents with the most life satisfaction (which means those who are the happiest) are those that have four or more children.
“Firstborn children can be goal-oriented, outspoken, stubborn, independent, and perfectionistic,” Smelser says, and when you look at the way firstborns are nurtured, it starts to make sense why. “These traits are often reinforced by parents through their interactions with the child,” she says.
Talk to your child
Keep it light – show an interest in their friends or peers, and ask how they feel about them. Let them know it's OK to be alone sometimes. We all feel lonely from time to time: it doesn't make them a failure. Acknowledge their feelings if your child says they're lonely.
Psychologists also have conflicting ideas about how only children operate in relationships. “They often have problems when it comes to delayed gratification, overly seeking attention, difficulty separating from parental influence, immaturity, independence, giving and receiving, [and] sharing,” John Mayer, Ph.
If you're an only child, your best romantic match is an older brother of sisters, according to this website.
The best type of person for you to marry is someone independent. If you are an only child, your ideal spouse needs to be someone who embraces independence. After all, as an only child, you got used to being on your own. You need someone who respects your need for space (and enjoys their own company too).
Only children tend to get a lot of undivided attention from their parents. In most cases, they have a very close relationship with at least one of their parents. They value this connection and their parents' approval of you matters more to them than you'd expect.