Member Articles

Myth: Only children must have their way.

Fact: Children with siblings often have more “who’s the boss” difficulties because they are constantly forced to share toys, television times, and parents. Kindergarten teacher Deejay Schwartz observes: “It’s the ones who have been jostled and have had to compete who are always trying to push someone down, to be first in line or yell louder in order to be heard. Onlies have always been heard and therefore function in a very calm way.”

Myth: Only children are dependent.

Fact: Because of adult guidance and lack of siblings to lean on, only children are

more self-reliant and independent than those who have brothers and sisters to fend for them.

Myth: Only children become too mature too quickly.

Fact: Children with siblings relate and talk to their siblings rather than their parents. The only child’s primary role models are parents. The result is that only children copy adult behavior as well as adult speech patterns and develop good reasoning skills early on making them better equipped to handle the ups and downs of growing up. A good thing, for sure.

Myths die hard and slowly. Pay no attention to them. Families with one child have outnumbered those with two children for two decades now. It seems the smaller, single child family is here to stay.