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5 THINGS NOT TO SAY TO THE PARENTS OF AN ONLY CHILD

You are the parents of an only child.  You have one child and will not be having any more.

Perhaps there are financial or medical reasons that have influenced the fact that you only have one child or maybe you just simply made the choice to stop at one.

No matter what your reasons are, you are probably going to be asked to explain it to many people.

For some reason, parents of an only child seem to send out a silent invitation for a barrage of questions.

Unwelcomed questions and commentary that will come in from family, friends and random strangers can not only put you on the spot but make you feel incredibly uncomfortable.

THINGS NOT TO SAY TO PARENTS OF ONLY CHILD

5 THINGS NOT TO SAY TO THE PARENTS OF AN ONLY CHILD

Most of the time, these questions are not intended to be mean-spirited but while many may think their questions or comments are just playful, parents of only one child get tired of having to answer or listen to them.

WHEN ARE YOU HAVING ANOTHER BABY?

This question seems innocent enough right? After all, people are just curious.

The real question here though is, why would anyone automatically assume that parents are planning on having a second child?

Not only that, but infertility shouldn’t be ruled out either.

Sometimes, these parents want another baby more than anything else in the world, but they are having a hard time and a question like this forces them to bring it to light.

Even parents not experiencing infertility but are in the process of trying to conceive may find this question to be incredibly intrusive.

YOUR LITTLE ONE NEEDS A SIBLING!

Having a sibling doesn’t guarantee a close relationship nor does it ensure a child’s happiness.

Some children can end up being closer to friends or cousins and with play dates being common a child can find someone to bond with without having to have a sister or brother.

Things Not to Say to the Parents of an Only Child

YOUR CHILD WILL BE SO LONELY!

If a child is experiencing loneliness, it won’t be magically solved by having a sibling.

An only child can be more capable than people believe of playing on their own, interacting with their parents and creating close bonds with others.

Rather than being lonely, an only child may develop a greater ability to play creatively on their own, as well as a more mature sense of self.

HOW WILL THEY LEARN TO SHARE?

Since when has every set of siblings displayed the willingness to share with each other at all times? Being an only child will not make kids more territorial with their belongings than those with siblings.

IT’S SELFISH NOT TO HAVE ANOTHER CHILD.

It is never selfish to want to avoid getting into financial trouble, not want to risk medical complications or just feel capable of keeping up with the children you have.

In fact, it’s responsible.

It is important to remember that it really isn’t anyone’s business how many children others decide to have. Intrusive questions only aggravate and upset parents of only children.

You may also like this post on WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS AN IMAGINARY FRIEND:

What to do when your child has an imaginary friend

Ashley

Saturday 25th of July 2020

I love these - another “favorite” of mine, “You’re such great parents and the world is so screwed up, you owe it to society to raise another child”... it’s a compliment wrapped in guilt. I typically just mention that I only have it in me to be a great parent to one. If we had two, we’d probably end up raising two terrible ones who contribute to the perceived “screwed up world”.

Diane

Sunday 21st of July 2019

Love this! I've heard all of these comments and they always make me feel bad. I wish people would understand that not everyone can choose to have more than one child.