How to Parent Your Only Child Without Guilt

Key points

Only children often form sibling-like bonds with friends.

Only children can excel in social skills and may benefit from less sibling rivalry.

Emotional flourishing in only children can manifest as independence and resilience.

Does an only child usually feel lonely ?

Does an only child lack social skills?

Does an only child have more emotional problems?

These three questions come up often from my patients, because although most Americans say they think two or more children is ideal, many are, or will be, raising an only child instead. 1 Sometimes it’s because of fertility problems, or because they started their family later in life and are unlikely to have more than one child naturally. Sometimes it's because the cost of raising a child is high for them, so they are "o