I just finished reading this weeks TIME magazine; the cover story: The Only Child Myth.
(You can read the abridged version here.)
So what does that mean? Is it better to have an only child knowing that that child will statistically be smarter, more educated and have more opportunities? Should I only have one child so I can spend more time with my spouse and with myself? Am I being selfish by only having one child, or am I giving that child everything I have?The author Lauren Sandler starts here article, "One and Done," by offering these words:
"The U.S Department of Agriculture reports that the average child in the U.S. cost his or her parents about $286,050-before college. Those costs have actually risen during the recession. The milk I'm buying adds up to $50 a month, and we're pushing toilet training just to drop the cost of diapers-about $100 a month-from our monthly budget. It's a marvel to me these days that anyone can manage a second kid-forget a third."
Sandler digs into the history of the only child myth, which was spawned by Granville Stanley Hall in the research, "Of Peculiar and Exceptional Children." He concluded that an only child could not be expected to go through life with the same capacity for adjustment that children with siblings possessed. However, his non-credible research has been disproved and only children have shown to score higher in measures of intelligence and achievement; which is expected considering that the parents are able to devote all of their time and energy to that one child. No one has published research that can demonstrate any truth behind the stereotype that the only child as lonely, selfish and maladjusted.
"The U.S Department of Agriculture reports that the average child in the U.S. cost his or her parents about $286,050-before college. Those costs have actually risen during the recession. The milk I'm buying adds up to $50 a month, and we're pushing toilet training just to drop the cost of diapers-about $100 a month-from our monthly budget. It's a marvel to me these days that anyone can manage a second kid-forget a third."
Sandler digs into the history of the only child myth, which was spawned by Granville Stanley Hall in the research, "Of Peculiar and Exceptional Children." He concluded that an only child could not be expected to go through life with the same capacity for adjustment that children with siblings possessed. However, his non-credible research has been disproved and only children have shown to score higher in measures of intelligence and achievement; which is expected considering that the parents are able to devote all of their time and energy to that one child. No one has published research that can demonstrate any truth behind the stereotype that the only child as lonely, selfish and maladjusted.
She stated other statistics such as:
- 46% of American Adults think that 2 children is the ideal number
- Franklin Roosevelt, Cary Grant and Condoleezza Rice were onlies
- Women with one child said they were more satisfied with their lives than women with none or more than one child
- A 2007 survey found that at a rate of 3 to 1, people believe the main purpose of marriage is the "mutual happiness and fulfillment" of adults rather than the "bearing and raising of children."
Personally, I don't think it's anyone's business how many kids I will or will not have...but what do you think-is it fair to only have one child? Read the article before you make your mind up.
2 comments:
There was a time when I couldn't get pregnant and I thought Madison would be my only child. I was fine with that for myself, but it made me sad that she would not have siblings. I think children are a huge blessing, and siblings are wonderful!
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