When I tell someone that I am an only child I usually get the same responses: "You're so lucky to be an only child," "I wish I was an only child too," "You must be spoiled," or "You must get everything you want." To many with siblings, being an only child seems like the most amazing thing that could happen to them. Yet the reality is another. The reality is that to most of us who grew up as an only child, having siblings seems like the most amazing thing.

The reality is that being an only child is not as amazing as it seems. You have no one to spend endless amounts of time with-- even if it is to bother or fight with. Being an only child can be boring and lonely. From a very young age both of my parents worked; I was cared for a babysitter from before I was one. I grew up between home and school with only my parents as an everyday company. I had friends of course, but that could never really come close enough to having a sibling.

For me, being an only child was lonely because while I had friends at school I didn't have any family my age, I didn't have anyone that I could bother, fight with, or completely rely on. I always wanted a brother or sister but that was never possible. But being an only child has also had its perks. Being an only child has strengthened my relationship with my parents and made me a responsible, mature, and understanding person.

But the reality is that the common belief that being an only child is the best is not true. While it does have its perks, it also has many cons.