To me, having a sibling would be equivalent to having a built-in best friend for life. But if you were born an only child like me, your life-long best friend is either your dog or your parents. But, maybe there are some good things about being an only child...
1. You never have to share food.
Growing up, you got the whole box of popsicles to yourself, could pick out all the red ones and not have to worry about anyone else stealing them. Now if someone asks to have the last bite of your soft pretzel, your first instinct is to say no because why would anyone dare ask to eat your food when you have never shared more than a bathroom when your aunt and uncle come to visit?
2. You can easily have a conversation with an adult because you were surrounded by them constantly.
I recently moved, and my mom suggested we go to the monthly neighborhood barbecue about a week after we moved in. I had a gut feeling that I would be the youngest one there by a good 30 years or so, but my parents were convinced there would be other kids there and said I should go. We got to the barbecue and sure enough, I was the only one there under the age of 45. But, being an only child, it is just as easy to start a conversation with someone your age as it is to start one with an adult.
3. Family time is an everyday event.
You constantly spend time together as a family and, as a result, your parents have become your best friends. Your parents are never busy taking your younger siblings anywhere and you get all their attention. You're automatically the favorite child by default, but at the same time, you're also the least favorite child.
4. You never have to chauffeur people around.
You never get a text in the middle of hanging out with your friends that your little sister needs to be picked up from soccer practice in an hour. Your car is all yours and you never worry about having a sibling borrow it or random Barbies scattered across your backseat.
5. You never have to worry about being pranked by siblings.
No one was ever there to spit in your food when you turned around for two seconds, or steal your towel while you were in the shower. You never have to watch your back and can walk around your house without fear of someone jumping out at you to scare you.
6. You've never had to share a room, a car or clothes with anyone.
You've always had your own space and can keep it as neat or messy as you wish. This also means that you're in charge of keeping your room clean and don't have someone else to help clean it. You never have to deal with snoring from your sister in the bed across the room either. Anytime you want to go out and grab lunch with friends, you have a car all to yourself and never have to worry about your brother stealing it to go play a pick up game of football with the guys. You can share clothes with your best friends, but it's on your own terms; you don't have a sister who walks into your closet as she pleases as if it were her own personal shopping mall.
7. The family can sit together on an airplane without worry.
We've all been on planes with families of three kids and two parents which means there's one empty seat for some random stranger to get stuck sitting by them. But as an only child, you and your parents can easily sit in the same row together and no one has to fight over who the odd one out is and has to sit by that stranger who sleeps and snores the entire flight. Also you never have to worry about your younger sister calling dibs on the window seat.
I've never really liked being an only child all that much. but I realized I do have these things to be thankful for because of it.
