The life of an only child can be rewarding and lonely at the same time. My parents did everything they could to make sure I had a good childhood, but sometimes the lack of sound would get to me. What most kids did with their siblings, I either did by myself or with my parents. While I wish I could have a brother or sister to play with and fight with, I wouldn't change a single thing.
A plus side to being an only child was that I was able to grow closer to my parents. Instead of having another kid to play with, I had my parents. But then again, I also only had my parents. I spent a lot of time alone watching VHS tapes and playing with Barbies or Polly Pockets. I'm not saying I had a bad childhood at all though, I had the privilege of getting to know my parents on a different level than many other kids my age. They made sure I wasn't too lonely all the time, so I thank them for that. I fully believe they are the reason I act older than other kids my age because, with them, I grew up a little sooner than my peers.
I believe being an only child makes an imagination grow stronger. I made up so many stories in my mind that I grew my imagination every time I created a new story. Without other kids around, I could create whatever story I wanted without worrying about a brother or sister wanting to join in and creating a new story of their own. I had total freedom of imagination whether it be when I played outside and pretended to have big races on my scooter or creating stories with my American Girl Doll. With a large gift with creativity, I also picked up a couple different musical instruments as well. I believe that helped me keep the emptiness of sound filled with imagination and music.
I'm not saying I didn't have friends because I did. I just relied on my friends a little bit more than others did. They were the kid interaction I needed to stay sane. Without the use of cell phones or social media, I usually just wandered around my neighborhood until I found some kids to play with. I also had my best friend, whose house I visited, played dolls with and just spent time together bonding and building a great friendship.
One downside and plus side to being an only child was that I was the prime focus of my parents. The bad side to being the only focus is the fact that whenever I did something wrong at school or did something bad at home, I was obviously the only one to blame. I didn't have a sibling to blame it on or even bring them into the picture while I was getting in trouble. Although, taking up my parents focus was a good thing. They had plenty of time to support me in all of my endeavors and come to all of my concerts. Instead of having to divvy up time between multiple kids, I got all of their time.
Some people will say that only children are all spoiled brats. I can honestly say they are wrong. It may look like I'm spoiled, but, in reality, I think those with siblings are spoiled since they have another kid to have around and play with. While I'm glad I grew up an only child, I sometimes wonder what life would have been like with a brother or sister around. I still wouldn't change my life growing up for anything though.
