Being an only child is not all what it is cracked up to be. Yes, you have your parents undivided attention but sometimes you just want to have some time to yourself. Some may say being an only child makes you spoiled. While that can be true it's the memories and relationships that last a life time, not that life size doll house you got when you were four. Also the house is a lot quieter because there are no siblings running around screaming at each other but sometimes the house can be a little too quiet and lonesome. Being an only child is a task of its own and even though we turn out the same as any other child would the road getting there may be a little different.
In elementary school, on the first day the teacher would have us sit in a circle and tell our classmates about ourselves. Almost every time we were asked how many siblings we have and one by one each student talked about the multiple members of their family. When it got to me my answer would always be the same; none. The chatter stopped as everyone looked at me and started asking me all of these questions as if I had some type of super power. I was automatically pinned with the girl who had no siblings. I often felt left out when my classmates would talk about what they did with their brother or sister that past weekend and I never had any story to contribute to the conversation. Sure I had my parents undivided attention and I know I took that for granted sometimes but there were times I did not want to be the center attention and simply just fall into the background and go unnoticed.
The stigma of being spoiled often is associated with being the only child in the family. The reason being is there is only one child to spend money on so why not go all out. While this may true for some I knew as a child I did not want that stigma to be pinned on my back. I learned to be grateful for what I had and to never taken anything for granted. I realized at an early age that it is the relationships that you decide to be apart of and the memories that you make with them are far more important than that expensive toy that I had to have when I was four.
Although these may have been difficulties I had to get over the most difficult to deal with was not having and siblings to grow up with. My parents were the ones that played barbies with me and help me build my leggo tower not a brother or sister. I never knew what it was like to fight with a sibling or the feeling when you made up because you needed someone to be your light saber war partner later. While I am beyond grateful for my parents and all they sacrifice for me there is something about growing up with a brother or a sister. They seem to have a code with one another and a pact that they will always have each others back. I also have thought about the fact that I will never get the chance to have Christmas dinner at a brothers house or my children someday will never have the opportunity to call a sister an aunt.
To others who have siblings may not think of this as a big deal but to me it means everything because growing up an only child is definitely a different lifestyle. I believe I am the way I am today because I grew up with no siblings. I am more of an independent person and while I enjoy to work with others I sometimes would rather work by myself. I also can be very shy in some circumstances because I never had a sibling there to embarrass me or constantly throw me into situations that would get me over my shyness. When others would be outside playing a game of pickup football, I would be inside playing quietly with my toys.
Although being an only child has forced me to think out of the box and be more independent there are times I lay awake at night thinking about what life would be if I had a brother or sister, I guess ill never know. But for the people who do have siblings don't take them for granted because there are people out there who have never known what it feels like to be in your shoes.
