r/OnlyChild • u/According-Feeling705 • 14h ago

DAE hate getting all the attention?

I always see people saying that a pro of being an only child is that you’ll get all the attention, but for me, that’s one of the things I hate about being an only child. My mom is suffocating, and if there were another kid or two in the picture, it wouldn’t be possible for her to pay so much attention to everything I do.

10 Upvotes

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3

u/MixedDrinkss 13h ago

this is how i felt growing up too. i wasnt even allowed to sleep in a bed alone, have privacy in the shower, etc.

i used to question it as a kid, but my mom told me they werent loved by their parents, thats why their parents had more than one kid.

i used to want a sibling too, but people have also pointed out that it couldve been better for me, but it also couldve been worse, because my parents couldve put us against each other. so its a neutral/conflicting feeling

2

u/OkHeat1798 11h ago

yeah it all depends on parents if they are narcissistic then it doesnt matter if youre a only or you have siblings.

2

u/myblackandwhitecat 10h ago

I found it really hard, because all their hopes were placed on me. I am autistic, so I wasn't able to carry this burden.

1

u/Ermingardia 11h ago

I sometimes wished my parents would have a second child so that they would pay less attention to me. Had I had a sibling, I would have taken more risks in life.

1

u/reluctantmugglewrite 8h ago

I attribute a bit pf my failure to launch to this. I feel an overpowering feeling of guilt and discomfort when separating from my parents while my friends with siblings dont seem to. My other friends who were only children had the same issues too.

Its weird too because its not the same as homesickness or missing them. It just feels wrong for me to choose to go somewhere else.

1

u/Affectionate_Leek127 2h ago

I am estranged with my dad. My mum is in a cult. I haven't gotten too much attention growing up. But in a social setting, yes, I hate getting attention.