Only Child Essay

540 Words3 Pages
Advantages and disadvantages of being an only child In our parents' days, being an only child was unusual. In those days, people had bigger families, and it was common for a family to have four or five or even more children. But for our generation, I notice, two or even one child seems to be the norm. An only child often gets more attention from his parents. As there is no other sibling to compete for his parents' attention, it is easy for an only child to get his way. My neighbour Cecilia is an only child. Since she was young, she has always been the first one to own the latest toy and gadget. Now that she is a teenager, Cecilia is always dressed in the latest fashion. The only child often has no one to play with. As a result, he is more resourceful in keeping himself entertained. He is usually good at an activity that he can indulge in without a companion such as creative writing, reading and painting. An only child also tends to mature faster because he is always surrounded by adults. Dr Toni Falbo, Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas who has studied one-child families for 30 years found out that only children tend to score slightly higher in verbal ability tests, go further in school and have a little bit higher self-esteem.” The reason is due to more uninterrupted parental interaction, a plus point for being surrounded by parents. I think the greatest disadvantage of being an only child is that he does not have any brother or sister to play with. As children, my sister and I were always playing together. We would play all kinds of games. When we grew up, we exchange news about clothes and friends, and confide in each other. Of course, we often quarrel and bicker with each other. But our sibling bond is special. The only child has the disadvantage of not knowing this relationship. It must also be lonely at times not to have a

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