Having an Only Child – 5 Reasons Why it’s Right for Our Family

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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked when I’m going to have another baby. Or been told that my daughter needs a playmate. Or not to worry because I’m still young enough to have more. Who can relate?

While I appreciate the concern, my husband and I have made a conscious decision to only have one child. It’s what is right for us.

I don’t feel the need to explain this decision to anyone, but since it can be such a hot topic I have decided to share our top 5 reasons.

Timing and age

My husband and I had been together for nearly ten years before I got pregnant, so it was a huge decision for us. We were used to doing our own thing and not having a ton of responsibilities. Plus, we weren’t getting any younger. So after trying for a few years with no results, we were beginning to accept that if it was not meant to be that we would be OK with it.

Let me tell you that it’s totally true what they say – as soon as you stop worrying, charting, and planning, that’s when it happens. And, of course, we were thrilled when it did!

Let me also point out that my husband and I are eternally grateful that we were able to conceive at all. I know so many couples truly struggle with infertility and it is heartbreaking.

We enjoy our quiet/free time

This kind of goes along with what I said before. I mean, we were a bit set in our ways after many years without a babe. We could take long naps on weekends and decide to go on a trip at the drop of a hat. That’s fun for a while, but we were finally ready for more.

With an only, we figured things wouldn’t get TOO crazy. We were right. There’s no sibling rivalry going on at our house. Our daughter plays independently most of the time. Truth be told – we don’t even know what to do with “free time” anymore. We’d much rather spend it with her!

Lack of space

We live in a cozy little Cape Cod that I love. Before my daughter was born, only the first floor was finished. My amazing handy-man father was working on finishing the upstairs when we found out I was expecting. Now my daughter’s bedroom and our bedroom are upstairs.

The 2 former bedrooms downstairs are now a playroom and a computer room (cat box area). We have accumulated so many “things” (OK, mostly toys) that I’m not sure where we would put a nursery for another baby.

We can give our child our undivided attention

Being an only child myself, I don’t quite understand how it works with sharing time equally with multiple kids. How do you make sure you’re not tending to one more than another?

I just like the idea of being able to focus solely on my daughter and not have to worry about dividing up my time and energy. I don’t have much of either since I work full time!

Plus, I like to spend some downtime writing and working on my blog. Having an only allows me some time to focus on me, which is important too.

It costs less

Duh. This is an obvious one. It’s not that we wouldn’t be able to afford another child. But, it is nice having a little extra spending money for entertainment and trips, while also being able to save a little each month.

We were also able to open a savings account for our daughter that will hopefully help her out one day.

In conclusion

We love our happy little family. That’s all that matters.

Do not feel pressure to have a certain number of children (or any at all) if you know that it’s not right for you.

Big or small, your family is an amazing blessing. Try to appreciate what you have, and let your family know each day how grateful you are for them.

Here’s to families of all sizes,

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