As an only child, I sometimes find myself extremely bored, but I always remind myself I’m probably really lucky considering some of the horror stories all of my friends have told me about their siblings. I was trying to list disadvantages of being an only child, but during my list, I realized the points I was listing could also be argued as advantageous.

1. I'm alone ALL the time

Most of the time, I am for the most part alone. If I’m not at school or hanging out with someone, I am alone, it gets pretty lonely sometimes with just myself and my computer, but sometimes I think it’s probably really nice. Every time I have to get something done or I maybe just need some time alone, it isn’t a problem because that’s how I spend a lot of my time. It sounds sad, I know, but sometimes being to myself is really comforting. I always love the opportunity to go hang out with friends and have fun, but otherwise being alone is not always terribly lonely.

2. All attention is on me

I can argue this one both ways easily, having all the attention on me is nice because I inevitably am my parents’ first priority, but that’s not always great for getting away with something. If I am not in my house, I am constantly checked up on and made sure I’m alright. My parents do really trust me, which I appreciate a lot because I feel I’ve earned it, but with the spot light on me all the time there isn’t much opportunity for me to betray their trust. Which in the long run, is undoubtedly good, but I also like being away from everything for a while. (sorry mom)

3. My social skills could really use improvement

I feel that I am only really comfortable around certain people, because I’m so used to being alone all the time. I’m not terrible at making friends, but I am terrible at public speaking and opening up to people. I have a good amount of friends, who I love and appreciate every day, but the fact that I have been going to school with the same people since I was five years old helps my comfort level immensely. So in a sense, I find it good that I surround myself with people I truly find beneficial, and I have stable friendships.

4. No one showed me the ropes

I have a lot of friends with older siblings, they tell me stories of what their older siblings teach them and tell them as they’re entering new stages of their lives. No one did that for me, but thanks to that I have learned to shape myself into my own person and learn more by observation than passed down insight. I hope that this will help me in the future, when I have to live on my own and teach myself to assimilate to new surroundings.

5. It's always my fault

On numerous occasions I’ve had friends say, “It’s okay, I’ll say my brother did it.” Or something like, “My sister started crying and I got in trouble but I didn’t do anything.” No matter what it is for me, it is always my fault. I could attempt to blame it on my dog, but other than that I’m out of luck. Thanks to this, I believe I have gained a sense of responsibility for my actions along with a sense of independence.

I find myself in a lot of situations where I can’t relate, and I’ve always felt a little different and weird under some circumstances. In the end, I know I’m lucky, and I can’t see myself living any way but sibling-less.