People always have a lot to say when they ask how many siblings you have and you respond, “I’m an only child.” You usually get responses like ”You must get everything you want,” “I bet you’re a spoiled brat,” or “You’re so lucky.” They always think that just because I grew up an only child means I always got what I wanted when I wanted, and that’s not the case.

I do know many people that have that “only child syndrome” where it is their way or the highway and are spoiled rotten, but that’s not me. Not everything was always handed to me and my parents didn’t let me win every game we played when I was a kid. They made sure I grew up with other kids who had siblings and that treated me like a part of their family. My parents did give me everything I ever wanted, I had to work for it. Either with good grades or good behavior, I didn’t get things handed to me just because I would throw a temper tantrum when they would tell me no. Trust me, i knew when my parents said no, they meant it.

I think that there are a lot of misconceptions about people who are the one and only in their family. But if you think about actually being an only child, think about how lonely it can be. You don’t have a sibling to play with or annoy in your free time. You are on your own to figure out how to do everything. Most kids had an older sibling to look up to and model themselves after, and I didn’t. While my parents tried to guide me in what to do, I still had a lot to learn for myself when It was time for me to go to school.

Meanwhile, there is that only child who makes it easy for you to pick them out in a crowd. They’ve always been used to getting their way and never understand when someone doesn’t want to do whatever they please. Those types of kids have ruined it for us and given us that “spoiled” stereotype.

Being an only child can make you very independent. Think about all the times when you had a sibling to do something with you, and then imagine what that situation would’ve been like without them. See, being an only child isn’t what its cracked up to be. It’s a lot of figuring things out for yourself. Like when you didn’t know what to wear on the first day of school, so you had to just wing it? Talk about being nervous your first day of ninth grade.

So don’t rag on every person that tells you they’re an only child, because we aren’t all the same. Everyone has been taught to act differently; I just so happen to not be a spoiled brat. I am and always will be thankful for my parents and special people in my life. Here’s to me and to you, if you identify as the non-stereotypical only child and work for what you want.