While some people grew up with older and/or younger siblings, there are those of us who grew up being the only child of our parents. I never really had a difficult time as an only child; in fact, there were many times I enjoyed the privilege of not having siblings. On the other hand, my situation was different in that I grew up staying with a lot of my cousins, as well as living with my grandmother, whom seemed as if she were a "younger" older sibling I had to help take care of due to her deteriorating health.
As a child, I often visited my relatives and their children, so I would have fun playing with my cousins, fighting them, or exploring with them. I spent my summers at my maternal aunt's house, so living with my older cousins felt as if I had my own seasonal brother and sister. We often fought for shotgun rights to the passenger seat, argued over who had dishes, laughed when one of us got hurt or in trouble, and hid from my aunt when we were up to no good. However, as we all grew older, I visited less often, we played less often, and we all grew and matured as we transitioned to young adults, so our mischievous days as playful youth were soon over. But I still reminisce about the adventures I'd had with my family and how I saw many of my cousins as my own siblings whenever we saw each other.
I also stayed with my other aunt often when my mom had to work or when I wanted to stay over for a while. At first, I was the only child in their house, but once my aunt and her husband had their first child, I felt a bit like a big sister who helped with feeding, holding, watching, and caring for my little cousin. Once they had their second and third child, I felt overjoyed at how much fun we would have whenever I visited. Though I am much older than them, I look to my cousins as the younger siblings I never had. It's always a joy to visit them and hear of all their adventures, hear them tell me about what they learned in school, and play games with them.
Living with my grandmother who has dementia has somewhat felt like living with a younger sibling in the sense that I often have to help monitor her, feed her, and assist my mother when she has to change, dress, or bathe her. As a child, my grandmother took care of me when my mother had school or work. However, as her condition has worsened over the years, my mother and I now care for her, and sometimes I feel as if I have an older "little" sister to watch and help care for.
Some of the privileges of being an only child are that I don't necessarily have to share my food or clothes with anyone, and when I was younger, it was wonderful having lots of toys and not having to share them with anyone. However, it was often lonely for me because when I wasn't visiting my cousins, I was playing at home or with the neighbors, and there were times when I wished I had siblings like my friends. I sometimes wished I had an older sibling to give me life advice, drive me places, help me with my schoolwork, and maybe even play fun games with me or take me to the mall. I haven't particularly wanted a younger sibling, but sometimes I didn't care simply because I wanted someone to talk to and play with when I was at home.
Overall, growing up an only child has been an interesting experience for me, and while at times I regret not having grown up with another sibling, I have also enjoyed the privilege of having all the love and attention of my mother and not having to share the spotlight with anyone else.
