Only children

katherineconlan

Read a thread on Mumsnet about a mum being told not to have only one child as they'll most likely turned out to be spoiled when they're grown. I'm an only child and in my 20s but I never knew that we had the stereotype of being "selfish" or "brats". Is this really a common sentiment? I was definitely privileged to receive attention and never went without anything, but I never threw a tantrum or took parents for granted.

Gregor Samsa

Read a thread on Mumsnet

There’s your mistake right there.

Didn’t read the rest of your post, tbh, as my family circumstances dictate that I don’t really care about other people’s opinions or situations.

I'm an only child and I could be quite difficult when I was younger, especially in my teens.

Years of working various tough jobs and being involved in clubs have helped me to be better around people. I could have turned out a lot differently.

But yes, we do have a reputation of being selfish arseholes.

StupidLikeAFox

I believe it was/is a big problem in China, where you had several generations only children, grandparents only had one grandchild etc so there were a lot of spoilt children running around

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118271568#Comment_118271568

Other that that, they're a great bunch of lads!

EmmetSpiceland

Anyone who tells you to have any number of children is an idiot. These are the same clowns who ask people ‘when are they getting married’.

These are people who “focus” more on the lives of others, rather than their own. This is, largely, due to being desperately unhappy.

I should, also, point that anyone who has kids, or gets married, because of what someone else told them should take a long hard look at how they are living their lives and cop on.

Potential-Monke

Have as many children as you can afford.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118274472#Comment_118274472

That's great in theory but, life can throw your plans and your earnings both current and potential out the window.

Affording a child when both parents are in jobs, or one is a significant breadwinner makes it appear easily affordable to have a child. Life can throw curveballs in to that though. Loss of a job, illness and worse.

You can lay mitigation, insurance and illness protection and so on but they don't always play ball and even in a relatively secure welfare system such as Ireland it can still become very tight, very quickly.

Potential-Monke

I agree. Which is why I think the vast majority of people don't think that far ahead and pop out as many as they like, and then blame the state for them not being looked after. Someone in another thread thought it was madness to consider that before having a child, you should consider that your child may have a life altering disability. For all the reasons above, I'm surprised people have more than 1 tbh!