#only-children

#only-children

Growing up, I heard it constantly: "Oh, you must have been so lonely as an only child." People would look at my friend Emma with this mix of pity and concern, as if she'd been raised by wolves instead of loving parents. They'd ask if she wished for siblings, assuming her childhood was some tragic tale of isolation and imaginary friends.

Does an only child usually feel lonely? Does an only child lack social skills? Does an only child have more emotional problems? These three questions come up often from my patients, because although most Americans say they think two or more children is ideal, many are, or will be, raising an only child instead. 1 Sometimes it's because of fertility problems, or because they started their family later in life and are unlikely to have more than one child naturally.