Busting Only-Child Myths
Lonely, selfish and maladjusted? NOT. Careful consideration of all the ramifications of your family-size decision is smart. Perhaps you’re leaning toward having only one child; there are plenty of good reasons to stop there. But you’ve heard only children are spoiled and selfish, or can be peculiar. It turns out these are myths.
Journalist Lauren Sandler did a lot digging, and in this episode she tells us there is “a lot of data supporting the one-child family as a healthy, important choice.” Lauren wrote a Time magazine cover story on the subject, The Only Child: Debunking the Myths. She followed up two years later with the book, One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and The Joy of Being One.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
"Hey, Tina Fey, One Kid is OK — and Greener, Too" - by Lisa Hymas
"The Only Kids are Alright: Good Reasons to Consider Stopping at One Child" - by Lisa Hymas
"None is Enough: Why Americans are Choosing Not to Have Children" - by Lauren Sandler
"Why One Child Is Enough for Me—and Might Be for You" – by Lauren Sandler
"The Economic Reason for Having Just One Child" – by Lauren Sandler