Is Only Having One Child The Way To Go?

When it comes to kids, is only having one the way to go? Gemma Chandler investigates raising an only child.

- Gemma Chandler

Look out everyone, make way for the spoilt brats! Are we living in a world where parents will stop at just one child? There are many reasons why this could be the case. It could make financial sense, or it’s the need to finally put the cliché ‘three’s a crowd’ to bed.

Either way, are we swapping the more traditional 2.4 kids in favour of a me-me generation of over-indulged want-it-alls? Or, are we just being more responsible and only giving birth to what we can afford? It’s easy to see the appeal of only having one child – one load of washing, one school run, one dinner… and only one tantrum at a time!

Single-child benefits

‘The pros of being an only child are pretty clear from the outset,’ explains childcare expert Caroline Hartwell. ‘The one-on-one attention, never having to share if they don’t want to and having the undivided attention of parents who can meet their needs faster and with more gusto. 

‘The single-child syndrome may exist,’ says Caroline. ‘They can be demanding, spoilt, self-centred and non-independent with diva-like tendencies. But more often than not it depends on the parents.’ As an only child herself, mother-of-one, Zoe, 42, always planned to stop at one.Together with her husband, Nick, she runs a specialist rehabilitation company for adults and children recovering from brain injuries. The couple live with their seven-year-old daughter.