Everyone we know comes from different backgrounds. Everyone we know also has a different life story. There are those of us who have lived our whole lives in the same place, in the same city, with the same friends and same neighbors. On the other hand, there are those who have bounced around from city to city for as long as they can remember. And at the end of the day, each person has their own unique family. Some families consist of 6 or 7 members while others may only consist of 2 or 3. Being an only child, it has always been just my parents and I. There are plenty of ups and downs that come along with being an only child, but here are 7 common concepts about only children that I think all only children can relate to.

1. People always think you are spoiled. We are very used to hearing people say the stereotypical “Do your parents buy you everything?” Just because there is only one of us, doesn’t mean we get whatever we want. Our parents teach us how to work hard for what we want the same way they would if we had siblings. We don’t all follow the stereotype that’s for sure!
2. We love hanging out with big families. Being with big families is like a new adventure to us. We’re not used to all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins running around on Thanksgiving or Christmas since our family is typically small. Whenever we do get the chance to be with a big family, we are always amused by how different it is and how fun it can be to be a part of a big group.
3. We always say we wish we had a brother or sister. Mom and Dad have definitely heard us ask for a brother or sister once if not multiple times in our lives. We see our friends with siblings and are very curious to know what it’s like to live in a house where you have to share the bathroom and don’t always get to ride shotgun. Our friends always tell us that they wish they were an only child so they could have some privacy, but if you grow up as an only child you would be willing to sacrifice all of your privacy just to know what it’s like to have a sibling.
4. Our pets serve as replacement siblings. Our pets are the only other living beings other than our parents that live with us on a full-time basis so naturally, we tend to think of them as our siblings.
5. Being home alone actually means being home alone. We get very used to being by ourselves at home when our parents are at work, at the grocery store or wherever they may be. But at the same time, we are not lonely. We’ve learned how to entertain ourselves and are very happy with either being alone or being with a large group of people. In a way, we have the best of both worlds. We aren’t afraid of being by ourselves and at the same time, we love being with a bunch of people.
6. We really appreciate the friends we have. Since we didn’t grow up with siblings constantly around us, the friendships we make are more meaningful to us. The bonds other people have with their siblings, we have with our closest friends. We appreciate our friends and their role in our lives because they really do become part of our family. Our friends become the people we trust and lean on for support and in most cases, our friends know every little thing about us just as a sibling would.
7. Meeting another only child is exciting for us. Running into another only child is rare. Everyone you know has at least one sibling, if not more, whether they are adopted or biological. Meeting another only child is exciting because it only happens a couple of times in your life. You are finally able to relate to someone on a different level because they know what it’s like.