When is National Only Child Day?
Wednesday April 12thNational Only Child Day, on April 12th, honors the individual child, the siblingless, the one, and onlies. You know who you are. These days, there are more of you than in decades past.
According to Pew Research, the number of families with just one child has doubled since 1970. According to statistics, 22 percent of women aged 40-44 had given birth to only one child in 2014. Compared to estimates from the United States Census Bureau, the estimates continue to gradually trend upward.
What these statistics don't tell you is that being an only child comes with certain rewards and some pitfalls, as well. Many only children have raved about the benefits of never having to wait their turn to use the toilet, which is unless they live in a multi-generational household. Parents' attention is rarely divided because there aren't many siblings screaming for their attention – except, of course, the only child was raised by a single parent in two, perhaps three jobs.
An only child is more likely to feel safe and loved. While siblings' finances aren't divided between multiple siblings, children often have their choice of extra-curricular activities growing up. These activities have the added benefit of social interaction and friendships..
Although only children do not have sibling rivalries, they do have to make decisions about elderly parents alone, although only children don't have sibling rivalries. Sometimes siblings make these decisions more difficult, and being an independent advisor is freeing an only child. For those that are not, it can be a challenge. Both parents' death, particularly if one or both parents were deceased, can make the grieving process difficult to bear, as an only child..
