Siblingless and Successful: Celebrating National Only Child Day
The joy of undivided attention
The Only Child Advantage:
National Only Child Day is a special day for those of us who grew up without siblings.
Celebrated on April 12, it comes right after Siblings Day on April 10, making it an ironic occasion for those who would otherwise feel left out.
Historically, having more than one child was considered wise given the high infant mortality rate. Even though family sizes began to shrink over time, as late as the 1950’s, families were still fairly large as a rule in many countries. Within the past 50 years, we’ve seen families continue to shrink, with more women choosing to put off childbearing or even deciding to not have children of their own.
While the exact cause for this decline in birth rates is unknown, researchers and academicians theorize that it may have been due to a combination of various factors like the World Wars, the rise in living costs, and the higher standard of living.
As children started living longer lives and the cost of raising a child went up drastically, the size of many families reduced to accommodate this new normal.
The trend continued in more and more developed countries, until one-child homes is now a…