Pros and Cons of Being an Only Child by Chloe Clancy

Whenever any of my classes are in a group discussion, siblings tend to be a common topic, whether it be about fighting, sharing, or literally anything else. Usually, my teacher asks the class, "Does anyone have any older/younger siblings?" Following this question, everyone's hands shoot up... except mine. That's not even an exaggeration, I've actually looked around before and EVERY SINGLE ONE of my classmates had their hands up, while I'm just sitting there, with that fake smile on my face pretending to be special. Depending on the topic, people start talking about how annoying or mean their siblings are, and that gets me thinking, I'm fine the way I am, as an only child. However, if you asked me that same question 8 years ago, I would not have been fine. There was a period of time where I was almost angry at my mom for not birthing a little brother or sister for me to play with. Now, it got me thinking of all the reasons why I enjoy or despise being an only child, and that's why I've made a little list of the pros and cons of being an only child.

PROS

1. I never had that "all star" older sibling to live up to.
Sometimes my friends express to me that they're tired of their parents always comparing them to their older siblings. It seems to have given the parents a motive to push their kids to do well, and sometimes it seems to be stressful for the younger sibling. However, being the only child, my mom never had anyone to compare me to, I was always my own.
2. I was never involved in little fights or arguments.
This one's simple, the only person I had to fight with, was myself. The worst it ever got was me arguing with my own conscience about what color shirt matches my jeans the best.
3. I got all the attention.
This definitely sounds super conceited, but if I'm being honest, it was nice having the spotlight all to myself. There was none of that "favorite child" nonsense, and at family gatherings, my relatives would just fuel my ego. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, but sometimes it got a little annoying, like come on Grandma, let's talk about something other than how many songs I can play on the piano.
4. There were no reputations to inherit or set.
A common issue I've heard about involves the reputations of siblings. I've heard stories about how some teachers or coaches absolutely adore or loathe some of my friends, just because of their older siblings. Sometimes this can be a good thing, however when a sibling doesn't set a good impression on someone, chances are that will carry over to the younger ones, which sounds tough. Along with that, I'd hate to be the oldest, and always worry about how I represent my family.

CONS

1. Every game had to be a one player game.
After a while, playing Wii Sports against the COMs got really old and really boring. It was especially weird when I would just sit in the TV room playing Mario Kart in SILENCE. I had no one my age to talk to, and it was not a common feeling to be absolutely bored to death on weekends. Not to mention, board games were completely useless in my household.
2. I don't know how to argue.
Although it was kind of nice not having someone that I was constantly bickering with, I never actually gained the skills and experience from fighting with siblings. Today, I am one of the biggest pushovers I know, because I don't know how to argue with anyone. I could say something, and someone else could disagree, and I'd just respond like, "Oh yeah, I guess you're right." I never got to experience the confrontational squabbles that most siblings do, that give them the knowledge of how to win a fight.
3. Sharing is extremely hard.
When someone asks me for one of my 30 pretzels in my bag, I feel a physical pain in my chest, and I cannot comprehend how someone would have the audacity to ask me for MY food. This is probably a result of having everything to myself since birth. This probably isn't the best trait to have, but with this, I try not to ask other people for things. Hopefully that makes up for it? No? Yeah, you're right.
4. There's no scapegoat.
I wasn't necessarily a bad kid per se, but I mean sometimes I'd make some mistakes. If I did end up being caught (which I usually did not) I always took the hit. Why? Because there was no one else to blame it on. If I made a mess, there was never any "________ did it!" Because there was only one person who could have done it, and there was no question.

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way, shape, or form, dissing my mother for her child quantity, nor am I suggesting that I am unhappy as an only child. I'll keep my pretzels to myself.

Me, circa 2011, playing chess with a stuffed animal