Introduction
Are only children really spoiled and lack social skills? It is commonly believed that families with more than two children provide the necessary social environment for their children. Having a sibling or sibling is also perceived to affect a child’s development in a positive way. Based on the findings of recent national surveys in the US, only a mere three percent believes that having one child is ideal for a family (Mancillas, 2006). However, the economic crisis that most countries throughout the world experience in the recent times have contributed to developing new trends. Also, societal factors have also contributed towards having more and more families with singletons. People are now getting married at an older age than before, which means they have children when they are older, when fertility is declining. Connecting this to the financial concerns each family faces makes couples have only one child. The key-question that this paper will discuss revolves around the overall well-being of children without siblings. Moreover, it will also be investigated whether singletons grow into responsible and healthy citizens.
Comparing the welfare of children with siblings to those of singletons, early psychologists and psychiatrists propose that the latter are rather disadvantaged and problematic (Chen and Liu, 2014). They base their claims upon the fact that parenting in families with an only child is distinguished by overindulgence, as parents prioritize their only child’s demands, molding it into a self-centered individual (Chen and Liu, 2014). Other than that, an only child that is raised in an environment that fulfils every demand of his, makes the child become completely dependent on the parents, maladjusted and temperamental (Mancillas, 2006). Furthermore, without siblings to interact with, singletons are expected to lack social skills and have issues regulating their emotions (Downey and Condron, 2004). In other words, it is hypothesized that children that have no siblings have fewer immediate relatives to interact with; therefore, spend a considerable less amount of time on social activities with these relatives. However, there is alternative hypothesis that claim the exact opposite. Some researchers claim there is no particular difference between the time spent by a singleton with immediate relatives, compared to a child that has siblings. This is attributed to the fact that singletons, usually, spend more time socializing and interacting with their parents (the family of origin) (Blake, 1981). Thinking of this issue from a different angle, families with many children expect more visits than families with an only child. The peers and parents are more when there are more than one children in a household.
The fact that one-child families are more likely to have problems with their child’s development, both emotional and psychological, is also a concern voiced in Chinese literature. The main concerns revolve around the “one-child” state policy. The one child policy was implemented from late 1970s and onwards and penalize Chinese for having more than one child (Chow and Zhao, 1996). It is believed that children without siblings are more prone to have social misfits. There is no solid evidence to support that claim, though. That being said; there are cultures, like in Saudi Arabia, where having many children is not only very commonly seen but also much appreciated. Parents feel more fulfilled when having large families. Also, family ties between parents, children and immediate relatives are very strong. Children also seem happier, as they always have someone to interact with, play with, share with, and socialize.
Apart from the effects of being a single child in a family in the child’s emotional and psychological well-being, recent research has come to showcase other problems, as well. One Norwegian study investigating the relevance between family structure and child obesity has found that singleton status has been identified as an obesity-related risk factor (Hunsberger et.al, 2012). Researchers suggest that children that are born first receive more time (much of which is falsely considered “quality time”) with their parents, than their later-born siblings. Although the reasons that influence child obesity are not fully understood, mainly due to lack of sufficient large-scale surveys, the prevalence of overweight in singletons is higher than among families with siblings. In detail, it is evidenced that singletons are almost one and a half times more likely to be overweight than their peers that had one sibling or more. Also, it is found that the older the only child, the greater the association with overweight (Hunsberger et.al, 2012). Other studies have reported that onlies were more outgoing and were more likely to engage in extracurricular activities. Singletons were also found to be more socially accepted by their peers, compared to children with siblings (Blake, 1989). On the other hand, other studies have shown no particular difference in regards singletons’ sociability. Others suggest that only children are less likely to negotiate peer relationships and have the same likeliness to become both aggressors and victims (Kitzmann et. al, 2002).
Conclusion
There are many factors that influence a married couple’s decision as to how many children they want to have. These include changing social trends and financial concerns. There are many studies that have investigated whether being an only child affects the child’s development in any way. However, their findings were contradictory. Nevertheless, the majority of results point that singletons may experience some issues with socializing with peers and immediate family members. They may also grow up being demanding and self-centered individuals that lack negotiation skills. To many cultures, having a large family is considered a privilege. To them, it is the fulfilment of the human existence. The question that arises is whether singletons are happier than children with siblings. This is a question, whose answer is dependent on many factors that need to be explored even further.
References:
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