Advantages
| Disadvantages
| Comments
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Parents’ love, attention, care
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to get all parents’ love and attention
to enjoy having the full attention of one’s parents
to be the centre of attention
to have no sibling to compete for parents' attention
to dote on (to be doted on)
to pamper
to indulge
to be praised
| to get tired of excessive attention and care
to lavish their love, care on their only child
too much attention - too much pressure on the child, too much control
over-protection (to be over-protected)
to keep a strict eye on the child
to keep the child out of any danger
to find it difficult to cope with real life problems
to lack self-confidence to go out in the world and get things done for oneself
to become reluctant to take responsibility
to live up to one’s parents expectations
to rest (focus) all their expectations (hopes, dreams, ambitions) on the child
to expect too much from the child
to push the child to be number one
to spoil the child
to be over-indulged
to get used to having everything done, managed, taken care of - by his parents
to grow up to be selfish, self-centred, bossy, self-conceited
to put one’s own needs, interests, wants first
to take for granted that one’s … will always come first
to lack the ability to empathize and sympathize with others
| Much depends on the parent-child relationships, on the way parents bring up their child.
Love and praise can either spoil a child or give him self-confidence.
Self-confidence makes an achiever, helps succeed in life.
All young children are selfish and possessive about their toys and playthings.
Children with siblings can also turn out to be spoilt (selfish, bossy, reluctant, etc.). It depends on their position in the family and parents’ treatment.
Only children can grow up into loving adults, sympathetic people if parents instill these feature in them.
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Material support
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to be better provided for
to have only one child to spend money on
to have more and better things: toys, clothes, etc.
don’t have to share … with other siblings
| to be less willing to share with other people
to have no opportunity to learn to share
| One does not need a sibling to know how to share and care.
Only children can be taught how to share things with friends and parents.
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Having no siblings
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to enjoy privacy
to have no sibling to poke his nose into one’s affairs, to bother
no jealousy and rivalry
no feelings of being treated differently
sibling relationships can be more competitive than supportive
| to feel lonely (bored) without a companion of the same generation in the family
to have no one to play with
to miss the fun of growing up with a brother or sister
to have no one to share experience, to confide secrets to
there’s no one else to share responsibilities
to tend to be maladjusted
to be shy, unsociable
to be reluctant to mix with people
to have problems with socializing
to find it difficult to make friends, to deal with other people
to lack communication experience
can’t stand up for oneself, prove one’s point of view
to find it difficult to share thoughts and feelings with others
to face problems in situations which require teamwork
not to learn to live together with somebody else of one’s generation
| Being only doesn’t mean being lonely.
Many people with sibs grow up lonely and don’t keep contact with each other.
Some siblings don’t get along with each other.
You may have more responsibilities as an elder sibling.
Onlies can have close friends and learn how to deal with people.
They can be engaged in different activities where they will get to socialize and make friends.
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Independence
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to benefit from being on one’s own a lot of time
to be good at being by oneself
to grow to be self-sufficient and self-reliant
to have few people to count on
to have to work out things for oneself
to learn to do things on one’s own, to solve problem oneself
to be able to engage oneself without being too dependent on playmates
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| Some only children grow up to be rather dependent on their parents.
Growing up to be independent or dependant is directly connected with the freedom and boundaries set by parents.
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Development and education
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to be more resourceful in keeping oneself entertained and occupied
to have rich imagination
to be good at creative activities (the ones that can be done without a companion)
to fill the time alone
to invent one’s own dream world
to tend to mature faster because one is always surrounded by adults
to follow their example
to have a chance for better education
to have all the parents’ financial resources to get necessary educational resources, extra lessons, etc.
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to over-identify oneself with an adult world
to feel more comfortable with adults than peers
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Some onlies remain infantile because of parents’ indulging attitude.
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Looking after aging parents
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| to be totally responsible for your aging parents; no siblings to rely on
| Not everyone's siblings are really helpful.
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