There's an odd sort of stigma that revolves around only children. After knowing someone for a while, and revealing that I am an only child, I usually get a surprised look and a "really?" Every time, I say, "Yeah. You're surprised?" And every time someone responds, "Well, yeah. You're so...nice." Or considerate. Or sweet. Or humble. Frankly, before college I had no idea that only children had a reputation for not being pleasant people. I've even heard people use it as an excuse for others' behavior. "Yeah he's annoying, but what do you expect? He's an only child."
I feel that it is my duty to explain what the average only child is like in order to clear up some of these misconceptions.
1. Our imaginations are very active.
When we were kids (especially if both of our parents work) we had to entertain ourselves. So our imaginations developed very quickly. I spend a lot of time in my own thoughts and working on my inner monologue. That's probably one of the reasons I turned to writing.
2. We seek attention probably more than the average bear.
Only children are kind of like pets: if you're going to have one, you have to keep it active. We're used to lots of attention from parents, relatives, friends, etc. It's not that we can't be on our own (we know how to be alone, see above). It's that we think being with other people is so much more fun. If I've had too much alone time, I immediately seek companionship/attention, usually by cuddling up to the first friend I see.
3. We freak out if our parents don't pick up when we call.
"I've left three voice mails and sent five texts, what the hell are you doing? I'm your only child. I could be dying for all you know! OK, well, just calling to talk, love you, bye."
4. "Only Child Syndrome" is rarer than one thinks.
OCS affects the frontal lobe of the brain and disables compassion, consideration, and compromise. It is most common in only children, but you don't have to be an only child to get it (trust me, I know plenty of people with siblings who have been expertly diagnosed). It is 100 percent preventable if the environment that a child is raised in teaches such values. Many only children I have met are OCS free.
5. All of us are carriers, though.
Every only child will show symptoms at one point or another. Even I am guilty.
(I'm the gray bubbles...)
6. We simply don't understand how siblings work.
"Do you--do you hate each other? No? Then why are you always fighting? That's not how that works...What do you mean you dropped him on his head once? That's abuse! I'm so lucky I don't have to deal with this crap."
7. Therefore, we rely on our friends more than they know.
I definitely seem "clingy" or "dependent" to some of my friends. I know I seek their company a lot, talk to them all the time, and probably develop bonds with them a little too quickly. But that's only because they're pretty much my makeshift family; I didn't have siblings so I found my own.
