Growing up an only child is a strange, but interesting and wonderful experience. My entire life I grew up with only three siblings: me, myself, and I. My whole life I was raised with nobody else my age to fall back on for support. Obviously, I had a lot of close friends growing up and cousins I love to death, but I never really had anybody there my whole life for emotional and moral support and company.
There were times where I felt quite content, but also lonely. I loved having lots of opportunities to have alone time, but there were many instances where I wish I had someone there to hang out with all the time. I was always jealous of my friends who had siblings that they considered their best friends, the people that are always there for them no matter what. That is a joy that I never had the opportunity to experience.
On the other hand, though, I never got to witness the downsides of having siblings. The lack of privacy, unavoidable bickering, and sharing attention with parents. For some people, their siblings are not their closest confidantes. My father grew up as one of five siblings and tells me he isn’t particularly close with any of them. Whatever sibling I had, it was never a guarantee that I would be super close to them.
If I did have a sibling, my life would be completely different. I had many opportunities that other children who did have siblings possibly could never have access to. I was able to attend voice, dance, and acting lessons in order to pursue my ambitions of going to a college to study acting, voice, and musical theatre. I received gifts and pleasures that many kids who didn’t grow up in a privileged home would have never received.
There is always a stereotype that only children are spoiled, ungrateful, and selfish. I do admit that I was a tad bit spoiled, but my parents raised me to be a selfless, grateful, and kind human being. Appreciative of what I have and the fact that I was born into a family that was financially comfortable, I feared of ever turning into one of those spoiled brats on the MTV show “My Super Sweet 16.” I couldn’t understand how anybody could take advantage of the people that have given them everything in life. I am so glad that I’ve had incredible parents to keep me grounded, and not let my head get too big for my body.
I am grateful for the fact that I am so close to my parents. Belonging to a single child family meant that all the attention was on me. I never had to go through the annoyance of sibling rivalry. This resulted in me developing a very tight-knit relationship with my parents. I go to them for everything. That support I had growing up is something I am eternally grateful for.
However, there is an amount of pressure that comes with being an only child. I’m the only offspring of both of my parents, so it is up to me to continue the bloodline and history of my immediate family. Fear of disappointing my parents and not living up to their expectations is continuously in the back of my mind.. What I do know is that my parents are so loving and supportive and they will approve any decision I make with my life. All I hope is that as their one and only child, I make them proud to be their daughter.
Being an only child has its ups and downs, its pros and cons, and bad times and good times. What is inevitable is the unconditional love I have for my parents, and the way I was raised to be a compassionate, kind, and loving human being.