“I would much rather be an only child than have six brothers and sisters.” How far do you agree with the view?
Being an only child, the parents can spend well in the upbringing of the child. The child can be provided with better nutritious and well-balanced food which may not be possible in a big family. The child can have fruits drinks, and nice things to eat like biscuits and chocolates. The child can have better clothing of good materials and new fashions.
Besides these, the child can enjoy a good education. He can be sent to a good school from the beginning because the parents can afford to meet the expenses. Good education means good books, good teachers, and good learning tools. For instance, where there are many children an average parent cannot find means to provide even a good atlas and instrument box. Picture books and storybooks will be out of the question. Because of better attention to his education, the only child can hope to reach high rungs of the ladder provided, of course, he had the brains.
Another signal advantage is the parent can attend to the child personally. This will help the parent to shape the child in the fashion he likes. Barring, petting, and pampering, the parent can be helpful in the mental and intellectual growth of the child. There can be intimacy which will help in later years.
There are also disadvantages to being an only child. The child feels lonely, companionless and has no one to share his joys and sorrows. The parent cannot take the place of a brother or sister because of the age gap. Being the only child he may be petted and pampered and so will easily become a spoilt child. He will develop more negative qualities like selfishness, pettiness, and obstinacy. He won’t have the opportunity to develop many human qualities. Love, affection, kindness, sympathy, appreciation, and many such qualities cannot easily develop in an only child. The chances for development of these qualities will be far and few between. There will be few opportunities to give expression to these qualities. When they are not developed, he can’t have healthy growth and he cannot become a well-rounded personality. He cannot understand the value of giving and take which is very important in life. He will become so selfish that he would like to have everything for himself. He cannot understand the importance of loving and giving to others.
In a corporate society, each member has to live with others. This means adjustments and a lot of giving and take. A big rope is after all a combination of many straws and its strength depends on how well it has been twisted. So too unless the society is made up of well-seasoned members, it cannot stand the onslaught of bad powers and influence. So the lonely child with many minus points cannot easily fit in. So taking all these into consideration I would like to have brothers and sisters than be a lonely child.
