“Where do you want to go?” the older sister asked as she drove away from home.
“Walmart,” the younger sister said.
“You got it,” said the older sister.
“I don’t know what I’d do without a sister,” the younger sister said.
Having a one-child family seems perfect to some, but being an only child can limit parts of a child’s development. The lack of interaction between a child and someone of a similar age at home can harm a child’s emotional and physical health.
Having an only child can sometimes lead to a lack of social interaction. Without a sibling to learn sharing, cooperation and patience, an only child would struggle with these life skills and fitting in with others.
Most children with siblings have a physical lifestyle. However, being an only child, they do not have a reason to be outdoors and play to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Without this, there is an increased chance of childhood obesity.
Only children carry the risk of having mental health-related problems. Such as anxiety from the pressure parents unintentionally put on their kids with all of their hopes and expectations. With multiple children, the focus is divided, allowing the children to grow up without the unnecessary weight of being the main focus.
Sometimes, having only one child could be good for the parents and the child. The parents will be able to put all of their attention and energy into one child. This also allows the parents to have fewer financial concerns and can provide a more comfortable lifestyle, which decreases stress for the parents.
With this, the child will lack social skills learned from siblings. The emotional benefit of a sibling relationship is important for a child to have a good emotional state. All the attention on one child causes stress to maintain perfect expectations.
A one-child family may seem ideal, but in reality, growing up as an only child may lead to a lack of social skills needed as an adult. It will affect them emotionally and physically. They will find more anxiety from the parents, and their social development will slow down.
