What is the FIRST thing that comes to mind when you hear the words..............

1. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   What is the FIRST thing that comes to mind when you hear the words...............ONLY CHILD?
   
   

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2. 49

   erorantesposted 10 years ago

   I feel sad. Then, I feel happy. I imagine how many materials things the only child has. After , I start thinking about the education. I imagine the best education.  They are excellent people. The best to lead us in any nation.  I feel sad because they do not have sisters or brothers. But they have many friends.God bless them.

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      There is NOTHING SAD in having no siblings. In fact, it's a PLUS. No sibling rivalry nor other forms of sibling drama. Only children have individualized attention, time,  & love from their parents. Only children are FREE to develop & BE.

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3. 85

   Joel Diffendarferposted 10 years ago

   I instantly see a story behind it.  I surmise there must be a reason and the reason must have a dramatic occurence that precluded having more than one child.  More so than, let's say, a couple who have had no children.

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Not necessarily, there are people who CHOOSE to have one child and are HAPPY with the results.  Not everyone wants to have a multichild family.  There's nothing wrong at all w/stopping at one child. There are myriad pluses to being an only child!

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4. 69

   Gina145posted 10 years ago

   I've noticed from your comments that you seem to think being an only child is a good thing. I disagree.
   I'm an only child and my Dad was one too. None of my Mom's family live near where I've lived my whole life. I feel I've missed out on a lot as I was denied the kind of family get-togethers that many people experience. I also spent far too much of my time with grown-ups. Sibling rivalry may not seem like fun at the time, but I believe it can be a good thing in preparing kids to relate to other people as adults.

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Being an only child is good.I'm an only child& enjoyed it immensely.Yes, I spent time w/grown ups &THAT gave me a more mature outlook in life. I also developed faster,acquiring adult skills & a more advanced vocabulary. Makes one MORE SOP

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   2. 69

      Gina145posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Then I envy you. Even as a small child I knew I needed a sibling. At 52 all I have is my Mom with no hope of having children and no nieces or nephews.  I wouldn't wish my feeling of emptiness and lack of purpose on anyone.
      BTW what does SOP mean?

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5. 57

   Kathleen Moralesposted 10 years ago

   Lonely. Defensive. Loved.
   I'm the eldest of five, and not only did we have companionship, playmates, and support for each other, there is no one, not even your closeness with your parents can compete with the bond you share with your siblings...your parents will always be your parents. They might know the things you experience from their youth, but only a sibling can share that nexperince with you, and when telling about later, experience it all over again. At times, I envied the only child, and other times, I pitied them...I mean, if something is broken, there is no guess work. One thing that is for sure...I am very glad I'm not a kid today, only child or not... Waves!

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      WRONG AGAIN.  Only children are loved.  They aren't lonely.  Only children have freedoms and opportunities that you probably never had.  Only children DON'T need pity, they are happy children.  I am an unapologetic only child, no regrets at all!

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   2. 57

      Kathleen Moralesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I am answering the question... These are the first things I thought of, and with that, I am not wrong. If you were giving it as a test question,with a right or wrong answer, you should ask it differently.

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6. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   
   
   Extremely lucky, individualistic, resourceful,confident, & independent.  Only children are the luckiest of all birth orders. They are oftentimes stigmatized & ostracized in the sibling society & culture. Prejudice against only children is the last acceptable prejudice.   
   
   The sibling culture has unfounded prejudice against & stereotypes of only children.  This culture strongly portend that only children are "lacking" because they have no siblings which is further from the truth.  Only children have bonds w/parents that children w/siblings do not have.  Also they will never be dethroned by succedent siblings.They WON'T be cast aside or pressed into service like oldest children are.They WON'T be appendages of siblings nor forgotten/fade into the background like middle children. They WON'T have to compete for parental attention,  Oh yes, only children WON'T be the unfavored child like children w/siblings can be. 
   
   Only children have companions via friends and cousins.Siblings are totally unnecessary for companionship. That's an antediluvian premise if there's one. They DON'T have to deal w/sibling drama such as verbal abuse, bullying, even physical abuse.  The childhood of only children is unfettered & unencumbered. They aren't parentified children. They have privacy. They also have monies to travel & participate in cultural & educational activities which children w/siblings can't because monies are tight.
   
   Only children do not have to forgo their educations as children w/siblings in many cases do.  Only children are more likely to complete their tertiary education than children w/siblings do, especially oldest children.  Only children also have advanced vocabularies & other mature behavior because their main interactors are adults, not other children.  Parents are more than parents to only children, they are friends & sources of companionship. 
   
   Being an only child is a beautiful experience for which I am immensely grateful for.I learned to be imaginative, creative, rely upon myself, & to be resourceful.I also learned to form close relationships w/ friends & cousins. I was never lonely nor were other only children I know.  We were HAPPY in comparison to those w/siblings-what horror stories they told.  Only children are awesome, intelligent, savvy, creative, and some of the BEST people I know!Notice that there are STILL A LOT of prejudice & negativity against only children. Hopefully, this prejudice will disappear as studies are dispelling such atavistically negative stereotypes.

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   1. 57

      Kathleen Moralesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Wow.. just a tad angry on this subject, it seems. I, too, experienced what you have, but with sibs. People are people, some are great, some suck.
      what are you talking about, sibling rivalry? Horror stories?! Jiminy, why are you so mad? And YOU asked!

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   2. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Not mad at all, however, I denote some prejudice against only children by those w/siblings.

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   3. 57

      Kathleen Moralesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Very happy you aren't mad, and I'm sorry for your experiences that led to that prejudice, yet we all have them. Prejudices. I have them, but they are to the individual that offends, not the group, team, race...whatever the subject is

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   4. 69

      Gina145posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This is a gross generalisation. Just because you had a good experience doesn't mean that yours is the right answer for everyone. I'm prejudiced against only children and I am one.

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   5. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It'is sad that you aren't proud to be an only child.If you weren't an only child, you wouldn't have the freedoms to pursue your varied interests.As the oldest, you'd have to put your siblings' needs FIRST,be a parentified child, &have NO childhoo

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7. 82

   peachpurpleposted 10 years ago

   responsibilities, burden, loads, and unfairness. I am the oldest child and never had the love

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8. 80

   bethperryposted 10 years ago

   A child sitting alone in the back seat of the car on a long drive back home, shouting, "You're touching me, stop touching me, Mom make them stop touching me!!"
   
   

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9. 62

   creativewriter123posted 9 years ago

   Only child- lucky, happy, unconditionally loved, spoiled, lonely, unrestrained. Only child can be many things. Every thing has its negative and positives sides. Only child can see the situation as a blessing or a curse.It depends upon upbringing of the child and his or her internal thought process.

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      elated, independent, secure
      

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      1. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         blessed, self-confident, & sophisticated
         

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      2. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         knowing, perfectionistic, no-nonsense
         

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