Having siblings is great and all, but if you were an only child, you probably didn’t realize that you had so many things to be thankful for. Yes, you were lonely at times and maybe you felt jealous of friends who had brothers and sisters, but there are lots of perks to being in the opposite situation too!
1. You didn’t have to compete with siblings for your parents’ attention.
One of the biggest perks of being an only child is that you never had to fight with your siblings to try to get your parents’ attention. They were at your beck and call because they weren’t distracted by younger or older children. Plus, you don’t have to deal with toxic sibling rivalry as an adult. Phew!
2. Your friends became your siblings from another mother.
Since you didn’t have any siblings to hang out with, from early on in life you had to learn how to reach outside the home to connect with other kids. This is awesome because it helped you form amazing connections with other kids who became your family. Your social circle was full of people you loved as if you were related by blood.
3. You felt comfortable being around adults.
As the only child, you spent a lot of time with your parents (who gave you their undivided attention). So, you were comfortable with being around adults, which made you wiser than your years and probably made you a better communicator. It also means you gained a lot more maturity more quickly.
4. You learned to be assertive.
You knew how to speak up for yourself because you didn’t have older siblings to help you or bail you out of situations. Sure, it was probably hard at times, but you learned how to back yourself. This has made you a strong, assertive adult who’s not riddled with self-doubt.
5. You learned how to entertain yourself.
It’s easy to become bored when you’re an only child. You had to be creative and come up with fun things to do when you were left alone all afternoon. You learned how to entertain yourself instead of feeling bored, according to Psychology Today. That means you not only do well with alone time as an adult, you downright crave it.
6. You became an independent thinker.
You didn’t have any siblings to get advice from when you were going through your first breakup or getting bullied by other kids at school, so you had to step up and think for yourself. This is awesome because it prevented you from always seeking other people’s advice and approval.
7. You learned how to be alone.
You became comfortable with being alone. Whether it was for a few hours or an evening, when your friends couldn’t hang with you, you had to be fine with being on your own, without sibling distractions. This has helped you to embrace alone time now as an adult, which is awesome.
8. You didn’t have to become an attention addict.
Without having annoying siblings to compete with all the time, you grew accustomed to getting every adult’s attention, like from your parents and grandparents. You didn’t have to work hard to impress others – you were seen and heard, so as an adult you didn’t have to become addicted to attention.
9. You could establish your identity early on.
You didn’t have to feel like you were a carbon copy of your older sibling. Your parents didn’t give you hand-me-downs, so you didn’t have to deal with trying to find your own identity. You could establish yours right from the start.
10. You sharpened your interpersonal skills.
From early on, you became skilled at dealing with other people. You didn’t have siblings who could speak on your behalf, but that was a good thing. You had to talk to teachers if you had a problem, and you had to learn how to persuade your parents to let you go to parties, all on your own steam.
11. You could stand up for yourself.
If someone upset you at school, like if a fake friend called you names, and you didn’t want to share it with your parents, you had to figure out how to deal with it. You had to do so by trial and error, but this made you stronger. You learned how to stand up for yourself and not take anyone’s criticisms to heart.
12. You didn’t have to live in your sibling’s shadow.
When you grow up with older siblings, you sometimes feel like you’re hiding in the wings, waiting for your time to show the world your personality. They take centerstage for a while, and it can be hard to compete with them if you’re painfully shy or introverted. But, as an only child, you never had to go through that. You could show people who you were right away!
13. You could become a fashionista.
Since you didn’t have ugly hand-me-downs, you could be a fashionista from early on! Even if your parents told you what you could and couldn’t wear, you still had a bit more independence as an only child. You’ve probably carried your unique sense of style with you into adulthood with confidence.
14. You had a stronger bond with your parents.
If you were an only child, you spent more time with your parents. Chances are you got to know each other much more. According to Psychology Today, this probably strengthened your bond and relationship, which you might’ve been able to continue to strengthen as you got older.
15. You didn’t have to share.
Okay, sharing is great and all, but if you were an only child, you can’t deny that it was cool to be able to get everything for yourself. If you brought chocolates home from school, you didn’t have to share with your siblings. Ditto for your Christmas gifts. It was all yours to enjoy!
