Only Child Syndrome? Kiss My Ass.

I am on only child.

Well that is not entirely true. I have a half brother who is 17 years my senior and never lived with us when I was a child, and whilst I love him, for all intents and purposes I am an only child. 

There is a stigma attached to being an only child that I have never been able to shake. People (usually people from large families) always presume that only children are spoilt and selfish.

G. Stanley Hall was one of the first professional people to diss being an only child. Calling it a “disease unto itself”.  Adler believed that only children are deficient and that only children have interpersonal problems and have tantrums if they are not universally loved. 

Now I’m sure they were very smart men but they can go shove their studies up their asses. They created a stereotype which has been stigmatic to only children for generations.

I do not personally think I am a selfish person.  I have never had issues with sharing anything, I always lent my friends whatever they wanted to borrow. In fact, as an only child I was always excited to have someone to share with (Except today when it comes to sharing men and books to people who don’t return them). So there is one myth busted.

In fact in recent years, academic people who study things have found that only children are better adjusted, achieve better results academically.  My parents have been able to give me things they wouldn’t have been able to do if I had had brothers and sisters.  That doesn’t mean I am spoilt though, I never had everything I wanted, but I did have everything I needed.

I like being an only child. I don’t believe it has impacted me in any way really. I’ve never had to share the remote with anybody which was great.  I learnt to enjoy my own company, which is a skill I think that many people need to develop.  I have made an extended family for myself made of great friends whom I love as much as any of my real family. 

What does scare me though is that in the future, when Mum and Dad are old and decrepit, I’m not looking forward to being the only one looking after them.  I’m not sure I’m cut out for that.

But as for being maladjusted?  Well Mr Hall, Mr Adler.. you can kiss my ass. 

(Sources as always from somewhere on Google/Wikipedia)