Growing up with all of your parents' attention and not having to share a single thing in your room would be a dream to someone who grew up with 2 or 3 maybe even 4 siblings, but as an only child, I respectfully disagree.

As an only child, you always have to have your own back, you can never say "I'll get my big brother!" when a bully is bothering you. Only children have to be strong because most of the time we can't rely on others to fight our battles for us. We also have to be smart because sometimes parents are no help when it comes to the material they learned back in the 1900s and they tend to yell more than if an older sibling were to help out. Only children go through some of the toughest trials in life but are also some of the nicest and genuine people you will ever meet. Ever notice that some of your most real and closest friends are only children? Being someone that never has a "friend for life" or sibling we tend to be very protective of friends and take friendships very personal. Not only do we take friendships personal but we are also very forgiving and don't like to hold grudges. One of the worst parts of being an only child is the loneliness. Obviously, as teens/young adults we know parents don't quite understand everything from our point of view so it's nice to have someone you can vent to. As an only child, we can only depend on friends for so much so when it comes to that aspect of life it can be super lonely and a bit of a struggle for an only child.

Enough with the sad stuff, now it's time to make all of you non-only children jealous. Although there are many cons to being an only child, we can't forget about all of the pros. Yes, you do get nearly everything you want, for those of you who were wondering. Not having to share clothes, cars, or a room growing up can be the best thing ever. Depending on parents some only children are spoiled rotten, they get anything they want whenever they want and aren't used to being told no. You should watch out for those types of only children when picking your friends they are dangerous when it comes to them not getting their way. Also, some benefits of being an only child are it saves your family money, I couldn't imagine having to put 3 or 4 kids through college. Also, you get all of your grandparents' extra money when you visit on holidays.

There are lots of pros and cons of being an only child, but usually, all only children figure out how to live their lives and make the best of what they were given. Only children tend to be super positive in situations that may get to other people. The reason behind this is that we see so much and endure so much as only children and most of the time we have to go through it alone. We just learn to appreciate friends and family the most and also take some things personal that others with siblings might not. Staying positive is one of the best traits that only children adapt throughout their life.

Before judging someone, try to understand why they are the way that they are, try to understand their background. I hope that when you meet a new friend that is an only child you can refer back to this article and see why they may take friendships so personal or do somethings that aren't quite ordinary. Only children are the strongest and most independent, let an only child know you appreciate them as a friend. Yes, we only children keep to ourselves and are great at faking a smile but sometimes small comments make our day.