Heb 6

I often get a strange reaction from people when I tell them I’m an only child. The first thing people assume is that I must be spoiled because I don’t have any brothers or sisters. Other things people often think are that I must be very lonely and have no socials skills because I’ve never had anyone else around the house to play with. Also, people often assume I missed out on childhood because I was surrounded by adults all the time. Well, I am here to say none of this is true.
I suppose the whole idea of being spoiled comes about because people assume that only children have amenities at their disposal. People look at the fact that I went to a private school and my family has visited Disney World a few—ok, more than a few—times that I live some grand life when really it’s just that the public schools are bad and my parents like to travel. I will be the first to admit that my parents paid for a lot of things, but I never demanded anything they gave me. Only children must work just as hard for the things they have; we are not some special class of privilege. Being an only child does not exclude me from having to get a job or work hard. It just means that at home there are only three of us. Perhaps it looks as if only children are spoiled because money is divided between less people, but really we have the same responsibilities and hardship that everyone has.
Often people also seem to think that I must be extremely lonely because I had no one at home to play with. Really, I don’t think I ever considered myself lonely until people told me that was what it was supposed to be like. Sure, I spent a lot of time by myself. I read a lot of books and kept myself entertained. I was completely intent with my childhood. I went to day care everyday and playing with all the kids there. Had there been more kids in my neighborhood, I’m sure I would have played with them too. Along with this, people assume that I have no social skills and a very self-centered person. I had plenty of friends growing up. Sure I had my rough periods like everyone has in life, but that can’t be attributed to being an only child. My parents purposely put me in daycare, not just because they were both working, but also to get to play with other kids and spend time with other people.
I don’t think I was ever deprived of a childhood. I did spend a lot of time with adults, but I don’t think I would see my parents as some overbearing maturity that I must meet. I did the same things every kid does and got in trouble for everything too. You see, there is never that advantage of being able to blame anything on anyone else. Maybe when people try to say I’ve been deprived of a childhood they really mean I am more mature. I don’t think I could ever see that as being a bad thing.