#79767--I agree with what you said---up to a certain point...

You said:

are you in a position to have other children so the child will not grow up alone. only children have a tendency to feel lonely and isolated. they must have interaction with other children at all times because this will strengthen their people skills. when they grow up alone w/out brothers and sisters they tend to grow up quiet, reserved and loner types. yes, they may have cousins and other kids down the street to play with but it is not the same as having siblings to be around all the time to play with, take vacation with, get ready for bed with, eat with, watch tv with,... etc.

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First of all, you make a lot of generalizations about only children. Both my husband and our daughter are only children. Neither felt lonely or isolated. In fact, our daughter is very outgoing. When she was past the age where children engage in parallel play and are ready to fully interact with other kids their own age, we sent her to preschool 2 afternoons a week. During the summer before kindergarten, she went to day camp 4 hours a day. Once she started school, all her teachers told us she got along well with others.

Also, there are people who have siblings yet grow up to be "quiet, reserved and loner types".

Not all siblings get along well together. Talk to some adults who didn't get along with their siblings. They will often tell you that they now have little to do with each other. Also, if siblings are 5 or more years apart, it is like raising 2 only children since both kids are at different stages in life.

Also, what about couples who can only have one child due to fertility problems? Or perhaps the wife had a difficult pregnancy and was advised not to have another child due to the risks?

So...my point is---please don't generalize about only children---and please don't make those who can only have one child feel bad about it.

Also, in one paragraph, you urge the OP to have more than one child, yet in another paragraph you say "we're already overpopulated". Do you see the contradiction there?

In addition, you say:

if you can't feed the child on your own salary then why have them.

Are you saying that if a person can only properly support one child, should that person not have a child since she won't be able to give that child siblings? Tweet