Only children

I have an only. She always says she’s glad to be an only! Her best friend is an only too.

😆 yes, not all siblings get on I know. It didn't bother me when I was a child but now I wish I had a sibling at the age of 65. It would be nice to chat about parents and childhood memories. My grandchild is well socialised so I'm sure they will be fine. I'm just a bit mixed about it

My dh is only child and has always hated it. He told me that when he blew out his birthday candles his only wish was for a sibling . When his parents became frail and ill, he really missed having siblings, ditto when they died .
Of course some siblings don’t get on or pull their weight regarding parents .
I have 2 siblings and luckily we’re close as are my AC .
One thing is that my dh could never understand our DC bickering or arguing , he didn’t realise all siblings did it .

I’m an only child. I have friends who are close to their siblings, but a dear friend is unjustly estranged from hers. Another two friends, despite no rift, only keep in touch with their same sex sibling by Christmas and Birthday cards.
Speaking personally, I’ve never felt that I’ve missed out. I have 2 DDs and they both have only children (sons) and both were late to motherhood at 39.

This is familiar had a thread on this same subject very recently
Yes I m a lonely only I didn’t like being an only child at all still don’t

I look at my DGC who are close in age and think they are so lucky to be a pair . When you have to make decisions about aged parents it is a lonely place to be the only one who can decide and take control . I have one cousin with whom I was close to in childhood and he is the only one left who can remember family things like I do . He is getting on in years and once he is gone there will be nobody. I always wanted a sister but because of family circumstances it was impossible but what a difference it would have made.

I have 2 siblings - we have always got on and we have supported each other through some difficult times.

My mother was an only child, so am I, so is my son and my grandchild will also be an only. It might have been helpful to have had a sibling when my parents died, but otherwise what you haven’t had you don’t miss. As has been said, not all siblings get on. We see ample evidence of that on GN. My son says he doesn’t feel that he’s missed out by being an only child, and of course he’s had all my attention and in material terms has had - and will inherit - far more than if he’d had a sibling.

As for looking after elderly parents, not all siblings are willing and able to help. My mother-in-law, one of four children, had no assistance from her brother or sisters when her widowed mother was in need of care.

what you haven’t had you don’t miss
Oh I don’t agree at all GSM
I saw all my friends with brothers and sisters and really really wanted a sibling, I so much missed having a brother or sister all my childhood and just as much throughout adulthood it was lonely being an only, no one to love or hate, no one to laugh with or quarrel with, my mum was an only too so no cousins to speak of either some on my dads side but he was a very much younger than his siblings so those cousins were all much much older so I never knew them either
Just me, mum and Dad and Nan and grandad that’s all my childhood family consisted of
I made sure I had three children and no more onlys thankfully

My sister-in-law didn’t like being an only, but she had very idealised views about relationships between siblings. She was surprised to discover that my brother and I pretty much ignored each other. He’s four years older than me, we never went to the same school or had any interests in common. I felt like an only child and people often thought I was

No issues here either around being an only child. I have always been independent and don't consider I have missed out at all.

We’re all different BlueBelle. I didn’t have the chance of more than one child.

I have one sibling and may as well be an only as we rarely communicate.

Sometimes nature decides and who is to say what is better?
One of my D’s has 3 children, one has 2 and one has just one having had a miscarriage in her early 40’s when their little boy was 3, she decided perhaps nature, or her body, was telling her something. Yes she would have liked him to have had siblings but now 7, he has cousins he is extremely close to (2 he sees every day), is very confident both with adults and other children and seems to have loads of good friends.
I remember the youngest of our 3 daughters in conversation with one of her friends (also 1 of 3) in the back of the car discussing the advantages and disadvantages of their older siblings being away at university and life as an “only child”, not realising I was listening.
In favour, they felt that mum and dad had more time for you, but against was precisely the same thing- you could not get away with anything because mum and dad knew what you were doing!
Pro’s and cons indeed

I made sure I had three children
You were lucky BlueBelle , my first died as a baby and even having the other 3 , all by elective C section making 4 sections in total was considered unwise

I have 2 siblings and I am grateful for that. I am not the only one with memories of parents , family holidays, happy and sad times. I always wanted more than one child , fortunately my wish was granted, but if I had only been able to have one I would of course have cherished that child and accepted the situation. I know how lucky I am. If parents have one child that child will usually inherit everything - so a bonus there I think!

I had four siblings and while it was lovely growing up with them it’s sad now as my three brothers have all died, none from old age.

I am an only which I have always hated. My estranged DD is also an only with three children.

I have never had any relatives apart from my late parents who were controlling and my DH is in a nursing home.

I feel very isolated and someone referred to me as a semi-widow. Not sure if I like that!

FindingNemo, semi - widow you are not - no such thing! You sound a bit lonely, hope you are ok.

We are all different GSM that’s why I took issue with your rather sweeping statement of what you haven’t had you don’t miss
Goodness what a materialistic outlook shelfife ‘a bonus to inherit everything’, not everyone has a lot to inherit and my parents left their terraced house (all they had) to me and my three children, equally, and I m glad they did it that way.

It's not always a choice, though, as RosiesMaw has pointed out.

BlueBelle, I am far from materialistic! and don't have much , but what I do have will be divided equally between my children. If I had only one child then what little I have would go to that one child. It was not my intention to give the impression that I was a person with plenty!! Ican assure you that is not the case. I am sorry if I gave that impression.

Was an only child for 10 years. Loved it. Mum fell pregnant and told her partner that I wanted a sister. She was only two when I was expected to take care of her and she was stealing from the local greengrocer. She is still causing chaos everywhere. My son is an only child because of this. He’s lovely and his partner is an only too.