People always tell me I'm so lucky that I don't have siblings and that I must always get whatever I want. It's hard to explain to people what being an only child is like for me because they always assume I'm just spoiled. Being an only child is not all it's cracked up to be.

For starters, I am spoiled to an extent but not in the way people might think. Everything I was given over the course of my childhood and now has been earned. I kept my grades up and stayed out of trouble as well as helped around the house. I was the goody-two shoes little girl that never wanted to do anything wrong because I knew everything I had been given would be taken away. I did mess up occasionally and I paid for that dearly.

People also don't realize that being an only child is lonely. You have no siblings to speak to or learn from when you are younger and it's difficult to get your parents to interact with you in the way you want them to. Your parents are busy most of the time and can't take time out of their day to play barbies or action figures with you. Even if you have a babysitter they really just want to be able to sit you in front of the television and do their own thing. Having siblings helps you develop social skills and have someone around that's not an adult.

Yes, I do get what my way a lot and I do benefit from not having siblings but there have been so many times that I told people I just want a brother or sister. Luckily, when I got to college I joined a sorority and gained more sisters than I can count. I am still sad I missed out on growing up with siblings, but am thankful for my life nevertheless.