Most people I know have siblings or a step-sibling. Telling people you're an only child oftentimes is met with an, "Oh, really?" or "Do you like that?" Obviously, only children can't understand what it's like to have siblings, and people with siblings can't understand what it's like to be an only child. Here's a little insight into the mind of an only child.
You never have to share.
You don't really have to share unless you're with cousins or other small children at school. There's no one to share anything with! People who say their sisters take their clothes or share clothes is such a foreign concept to me. Maybe that's why I have so many clothes.
You have your own space.
You have your own bedroom, bathroom, and closet, and you never have to worry that someone is suddenly going to infringe upon them. This does, however, make moving into a dorm room a big adjustment, as you have to share a small space for the first time in your life.
When you go on vacations, you get the whole backseat to yourself.
There's never any squishing of siblings in the back or fighting in the car — you can just take a nap and pop some headphones in and you're good for however long the ride is.
You have a crazy imagination because you had to play by yourself as a kid.
Your creativity is crazy — since you had all the time in the world as a kid to draw or color or paint, you're probably pretty creative and you can come up with some good ideas much quicker than some of your peers.
You're independent by nature because you've done a lot on your own.
Sometimes you just need your personal space. You've been used to being alone all the time, and while you like people, you also recognize the joys of personal growth and alone time.
You always got all the attention from your parents and you're used to always having them to talk to.
My parents and I are in a group chat now that I'm away at school, and I give them both updates. It's a lot easier to text both of them than it is to text each individually, and since parents of only children only have one child to be invested in, they care a lot about things you wouldn't realize.
If you want/ask for something, there's a higher probability that you're going to get it.
Since you don't have siblings and your parents only have to spend money on one child, if you want something, there's a much greater chance that you'll actually get it compared to your friends who have three siblings. This oftentimes is why only children are labeled as "spoiled." While that may be true for some, it doesn't change our personality types.
You can relate really well to other only-children.
Being an only child really is an experience, so when you find someone else who's also an only child, it's like an instant bond. You just automatically know things about that person that you wouldn't otherwise.
You don't really ever get into fights because there's no one to fight with.
You don't get into fights easily and you're not confrontational because you never really fought with anyone growing up. Sure you and Susie might've gotten into that one fight in fourth grade, but for the most part, there's no one grabbing your hair or stealing your toys or eating the last granola bar, so really, who would you fight with?
I love being an only child, and I think there are definitely perks to it. While I'm sad I won't necessarily get to be an aunt someday, I have cousins and friends who I'm very close with, so there are people to fill the roles that a sibling would fill.
