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Nope. I loved being an only child. I never felt like I was missing out on anything. I don't even remember wanting a brother or sister ever.

I don't mind being an only child, and in a lot if ways I love it. I do think it would be nice to have siblings, though.

I was an only child and I was desperately lonely. I longed for a sibling. I think the difference was I was painfully shy and struggled to make friends and my mum didnt like me having the friends I had round to play. I think its fine to have an only child providing you make sure they get plenty of interaction with other kids.

I definitely don't have negative feelings about it at all. I'm not even jealous of friends with close siblings. My mother was a single Mom (my Dad was essentially not in the picture), and it was just me, so I think I have a very specific experience. I think if I had a traditional family situation perhaps it would have been harder? Maybe I would have wondered why my parents didn't have another child? With just my mother, I knew early one she was busting her hump to take care of me and that siblings were just not going to be an option.

Either way, I'm glad that my mother did what was best for her.

I am an only child. I sometimes wanted a sibling, but I never felt cheated out of one as a child, or that my childhood was somehow lacking something because I didn't have a sibling. I had plenty of friends, although I was pretty good at being alone but not lonely, too. I guess I never felt particularly strongly about it either way.

Now that I'm an adult, I feel that I probably carry a much larger responsibility for my parents as they get older than I might if an adult sibling was in the picture. That's not a complaint--it's just something I've always known and have been planning for. In some ways it might actually be easier, because I won't have anyone other than Mom and Dad to make decisions with.

That said, we want another child. Our wanting another isn't a reflection on my childhood--we just feel that we're meant to be a larger family than we are now.

I have mixed feelings about it. The downsides:
Lonely
Onus all on me re parents

Ups:
Didn't have to consider anyone else

But on a whole, I think I would have generally benefited from not being an only child. My Mum didn't intend on it being that way, she had an ectopic after me.

@googly-eyes: I'm an only child and while I begged for siblings as a little kid, I loved it when I got older and still love it now. I feel closer to my parents because of it--a team of three, we were!

@sarac: more adorable babies needed from you two please!!

I was an only child until my dad and stepmom had my sister when I was 13, and I remain one with my mom (with whom I lived). I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, my mom and I are very close, and it's partially because it was (mostly) just us. I also love the exrtra attention I still get.

At the same time, I have serious issues with attention, which almost certainly stem in part from being an only child. I also worry a bit about being solely responsible for things when my mom gets older. And I feel some pressure to always live near her so she can be close to grandkids, despite the fact that we don't like TN at all.

And DH is one of four (and a twin), and I have to admit, I get a little sad when I see them together. I don't have that with my half siblings because we didn't grow up together. We plan to have 2 kids, as a compromise. I want more as an only, and he wants fewer because of being one of so many (he also had stepsiblings for a while).

Growing up I never wanted a sibling. But now looking back on it as an adult, I have realized that I was soooo lonely. I was always by myself and bored. My parents were so strict and it really would have been nice to have a sibling to commiserate with.

@LazyLightning: I don't think I ever told my parents I was bored!

@Cara M. 17: Oh no, I didn't know both of your parents have passed away. That's my fear - being an only child with my parents (ie... mainly my mom) being gone.

I didn't want siblings when I was really little but as I grew older, I wished I had at least one.

@hergreenapples: I totally agree! As an only child, I really got along with my parents. We felt like a really tight little team and we still enjoy doing stuff with them. One child is not only cheaper but easier- my parents were still able to have adventures and I was able to share those adventures with them. Finally, even though my parents never had a lot of money they were able to afford great schools for me all the way through my education.
I want a second child - although my husband with four siblings is one and done - but not for my son's sake. I believe he would thrive as an only, just as I did.

@googly-eyes: no. My parents were ill and unhappy, and we were rather isolated. If not for that I may have enjoyed being an only child more.

@lazylightning I'd sure love that, but you'll have to speak to my busted uterus.

I'm not an only child but my two siblings were in or close to their teens when I was born so I grew up in a house of adults. there are pro's and con's like everything. I was quite lonely but it did give me a great imagination and creativity and ,made me quite independent. Also I grew up in a rural area, if I had been sent to pre school and after school activities to mix with other kids I think that the loneliness wouldn't have beeen as much of a factor so there are ways of getting around the negatives.

I'm an only child and also would never have changed things. My parents kept me busy with all kinds of activities so I never had a chance to be bored!

@googly-eyes: I'm glad you started this thread. DH and I are one and done and all we hear from people is how horrible that will be. It's nice to hear from people who actually grew up in one child households. I feel like I have a better idea on how to handle DD being an only child after reading these responses.