Siblings..... the best experience you can give your child/ren?

[angelaartsstudent]

No, I personally believe that single kids end up better off.

If this pregnancy hadn't got through the pill and the morning after pill, we would have just left it at DD.

No plans for any more than 2...DH getting a vascetomy!

[skybie]

i would have quite happily beenan only child

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

The best experience you can give your child is growing up in a home free of abuse - OK, in a home where the child is not continually abused at the very least: I believe that no home or relationship can be completely abuse-free as we can all be selfish at times. If you can't do that, you shouldn't have a child. BUT if you are the sort of mother (or father) who abuses her child in whatever fashion, lots of children is the best thing for your children: typically, in abusive households, children with more siblings do better (not going to quote the studies here!).

DS's two best friends are only children too and they LOVE sharing with each other, so I fail to see how only children don't share!

eta- I agree with skybie, I wanted to be an only child when I was growing up too! Now, I'm sorta pleased my sister got all the attention and I got ignored, I can see her giving attention to Liebling and how bad that is for him.

[Just Me]

I think different horses for different courses really ... I don't think that having siblings is ever the BEST thing you can give your children. As a PP said, your love, time and affection is the most important thing. I do think that all families work different and for some families, having siblings is good for kids but in other families being a singleton works better. It really depends on the parents, the kid and the circumstances.

I know heaps of families with very very happy and well adjusted singleton kids just like I know lots of families with more than one child. Kids are pretty adaptable to whatever set up works in your family.

People that think they have done things the 'right' way annoy me. Every family is different. I think the idea of having more babies for the sake of current children is a little absurd. I do think sibling relationships and family dynamics are a consideration, but I think the decision has to be made because it is something both parents want, not because they think it is something that their current children need, iykwim.

[misty]

I think different horses for different courses really ... I don't think that having siblings is ever the BEST thing you can give your children. As a PP said, your love, time and affection is the most important thing. I do think that all families work different and for some families, having siblings is good for kids but in other families being a singleton works better. It really depends on the parents, the kid and the circumstances.

I know heaps of families with very very happy and well adjusted singleton kids just like I know lots of families with more than one child. Kids are pretty adaptable to whatever set up works in your family.

People that think they have done things the 'right' way annoy me. Every family is different. I think the idea of having more babies for the sake of current children is a little absurd. I do think sibling relationships and family dynamics are a consideration, but I think the decision has to be made because it is something both parents want, not because they think it is something that their current children need, iykwim.

Absolutely agree.
Having siblings has been great for me growing up, and certainly something i have always wanted for my children. But I know plenty of people who grew up as only children and that worked fabulously for them. My sister only has the one child and that is probably the best thing she could do for him. The are positives and negatives for both - and it really is a trade off.