I grew up as an only child. Sometimes I was lonely because I didn’t have a sibling so there was no one around that was close to my age. But as I grew up I began to realize that there are some advantages to having a small family - not just to the family but for society as well.
It’s pretty obvious that as an only child you get all the attention from your parents. No need to share their love or attention. For me, that was always comforting. I knew I could talk to my parents anytime and about anything. And they would talk to me like an adult - they didn’t treat me like a kid. I heard my parents’ friends say I had great verbal skills.
When you live in a small family you get lots of presents! Your parents only have one kid’s birthday to think about every year so you tend to get lots of great presents. Same with Christmas/Chanukkah. Only one kid to buy presents for - stacks and stacks of presents. Don’t get me wrong, my family was not rich, far from it, but when it came to birthdays and holidays I did get spoiled.
I had a good education. My parents found a great charter school where I started my education. It met all their requirements for a progressive, holistic education, and I really learned to think rather than just memorize facts. Now, in college, I’ve been able to go to an out-of-state school, live in a nice apartment, and to continue to get a good education. I’m even going abroad to study next semester. I probably wouldn’t have these opportunities if my family was larger.
A small family brings a calmness that you don’t get in a large family. No sibling rivalry! No kids taking sides with one parent or the other. As a small family of just three, we did a lot of things together - went on vacations, to ballgames, picnics, played games at home. And I got to try almost any sport that I showed interest in - ice skating, skiing, tennis, basketball, swimming, football.
Since I was the only grandchild on my mom’s side and the only granddaughter on my dad’s side of the family I was pretty well doted on by my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. No cousins to compete with so I got taken to Disneyland a couple of times a year and traveled to interesting and exotic places.
But as I’ve gotten older I’m starting to realize what I’m missing by not having a bigger family. I love my parents and my aunt and uncle, but the few other relatives I have in the extended family live far away and we don’t really communicate much. My boyfriend comes from a large extended family and I’m looking forward to meeting all of them and being a part of that big family feeling. I love when I get invited to friends’ houses and they have big family get togethers. It’s fun to join in and be part of a bigger group. Maybe that’s why I feel so close to some of my sorority sisters. I know that we’ll be part of each others’ families for a long, long time and I’ll always be part of a bigger “family.”
