Only child syndrome...

Oscar is my miracle kid, after rounds of IVF our ‘dodgy’ frozen egg proved to be the fighter!

If you’ve read my journal “Why Gidget Foundation Australia’ you will understand I struggled with both pre- and post-natal depression. I am an ‘older’ mother and to be honest I feel blessed to have one child.

I get asked all the time:

• Am I going to have another one?
• Oscar isn’t going to have a sibling; will he be OK, will he lonely, who will play with him?
• Don’t you want enough kids to look after you when you get old?

 To that I answer:

• No, I am not going to have another one, it could take me along time to fall pregnant and I’m not getting any younger
• YES he will be OK, he is full of life, has a happy and pleasant personality, has plenty of cousins and friends and I will play with him
• Erm, no – I didn’t have Oscar so he can take care of me when I’m old and grey (I’ll be in a glamorous retirement village, sipping cocktails and playing cards thanks)

But…it doesn’t come without guilt and me over thinking the dreaded ‘only child syndrome’

There is a myth that someone who is an only child is likely to be more selfish than someone who has siblings. People believe that they’re spoiled and lonely. In fact, it used to be commonplace for an only child to be referred to as the ‘lonely child’.

Studies have shown that a reluctance to have one child is one of the major reasons for why parents have more. This is due to parents fearing that the only child will grow up without socializing enough with other kids. However, research shows that only children are no more selfish, spoiled, or lonely than anyone else. In fact, some are better at socializing with adults and have better relationships with their parents.

It’s down to parents to raise their child/children to be selfless, happy, polite, and caring.

Please don’t judge me as a parent until you know the full story…

Right now I’m off to ‘hop in the pool’ with Oscar and have some fun x