What are the pros and cons of single child?

I have an only child. Pros: While she is far from spoiled, we do have the money to provide her with more of her wants than would have been the case if we'd had several children. (We were able to put her through college without the need for student loans.

She had dance lessons and swim teams.) There wasn't the expense of daycare/preschool for multiple kids or the hassle of trying to juggle multiple schedules. She has friends and cousins and isn't lonely. (Though she's something of an introvert -- but would likely have been so regardless.

I have 3 siblings and I'm an introvert.) Cons: Right now, really none at all. (Unless you count the problem of trying to to cut a pie into 3rds rather than quarters without using a compass, or divide two large chicken breasts 3 ways.) Looking towards the future I do have some concerns about how she will handle things as WE get older and eventually pass away. Without a sibling to share the practical issues and emotional stresses it will probably be hard on her.

(Having just been through this with my own parents, I can appreciate the benefits of having siblings to share it with.) EDIT: FWIW, I never heard a negative comment about the fact that I had an only child.

Every pro is a con. It depends. Growing up as an only child I didn't have to share anything so when I have to share things now it's harder not to get jealous.

This can be out grown. Of course we are humans we can be trained for anything. I'm not afraid to be alone.

Growing up as an only child I spent a lot of time with myself. So being alone don't scare me. Thus not giving me the greatest social skills.

( I still don't get half the conversations people have so shallow) no one to help out with things. I did it myself. With out help.

Wonderful. Now as an adult I can't ask for help and when people ask me for help on something I know they are able to do. I see them as lazy push over weak people.

Spoiled. I always get what I want because i'm the only child. Real word you don't get crap of what you want.

And your stuck. Growing up I had no one to blame. So I had to take responsibility for anything that went wrong.

Even when my mom forgets what she did and blames me. So in my adult life I just take the blame for everyone so I don't have to sit down and be social. I can but that's just so much more work then saying I did it now what!

Over all my childhood was AWESOME I wouldn't trait it for the world. In my adult life. I'm stressed.

I'm the only one who can care for my parents. So when both are ill I am a mess. Because I have to be a nurse, and still pay my house note.

When they die i'll have to do this stuff alone. Hey at least I won't have to share. And I can greif alone.

And handle everything all by my self. Everything can change however who I am was how I was raised so making these changes are harder than those who grew up fighting and sharing and helping. My point is as an only child I strongly feel you should do what's in YOUR heart because having a parent who doesn't really want a 2nd child who does so because of other peoples opinion.

Is setting that child up for a very lonly life. Of feeling of being unwanted and undervalued. And even if your the best mother to them you will know.

The extra work and slightly build up resentment. So moral of the story if you really want a 2nd child then go for it .. if not don't. Growing up feeling unwanted for no reason really does suck.

Helping a friend deal with that now.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.