Only children are often demonized in society and seen as selfish, spoiled brats. However, this is completely untrue.

To me, only children are driven, strong individuals who know how to stand their ground.

When I was very young, I was eager to start school. At the age of two, I would sit at the window and watch the school bus drive down our road, yearning to be with the other children.

My parents enrolled me in “pre-school” which was really just daycare. I got to go to half-days at a school a few towns over. There, I learned how to share. I made friends and developed social skills.

Even though I learned how to share, I still don’t necessarily like it. Because I haven’t had to share with any siblings for my whole life, I get easily upset when things don’t go my way. Everything has a place and must be in its place.

When I was in elementary school, I didn’t have many neighborhood friends. I would spend hours playing Barbies or My Little Pony alone in my bedroom. I created imaginary worlds to combat my loneliness.

It was, at that time, that I found a love for being alone.

Being an only child helped me form an introverted personality and a sense of selfishness. After being around people for too long, I know when to step back and take my alone time.

As an only child, I was often doted on by my parents. That doesn’t make me spoiled, however. I didn’t get every single thing I wanted, and I had to work for most things I got.

Sometimes, their doting became too much.

Getting the sole attention from two parents 24/7 was a lot of pressure. They always pushed me to be the best I could be, but it could be overwhelming at times.

I always thought that the pressure I felt came from my dad, but after he passed away, I still felt that pressure there.

Being an only child taught me how to put pressure on myself, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but can become a bad thing if it isn’t reined in properly.

I also hate being the center of attention because that was always my position at home. At school, I tried to blend into the crowd and not draw attention to myself because it was very overwhelming.

I always seemed to be the center of attention when I went out with my mom and her friends. When I was younger, they used to do monthly outings in a huge group.

A lot of the parents would leave their children at home with a babysitter, but my mom brought me everywhere with her. I learned at a young age how to be respectful to adults, and they always respected me.

The best part of being an only child is how close I am to my mom. She doesn’t treat me as beneath her but as equal to her. We make decisions together. We do everything together, really.

Being an only child was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.