22 Emotional Struggles “Only Children” Are Likely to Face More Often
Being an only child comes with its own set of unique emotional struggles. Without siblings, only children often navigate their emotional worlds a bit differently, and this can lead to a variety of challenges that they are more likely to face.
From dealing with loneliness to feeling immense pressure to meet their parents' expectations, only children frequently grapple with emotional burdens that others may not understand. Here are 22 emotional struggles that only children are likely to face more often.
Loneliness
Without siblings, only children may feel isolated and alone, especially when their parents are busy. They often struggle with a deep sense of loneliness, even in the presence of others.
Pressure to Succeed
As the sole focus of their parents, only children often feel immense pressure to excel. This constant push for success can lead to overwhelming stress and anxiety.
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Difficulty with Peer Relationships
Without siblings to practice social skills with, only children may struggle to form and maintain relationships with peers. They might feel awkward or out of place in group settings.
Fear of Disappointing Parents
Only children frequently experience a fear of disappointing their parents, who often have high expectations for them. This fear can cause them to internalize their failures more deeply.
Overprotectiveness from Parents
Only children often experience overprotective parenting, which can leave them feeling smothered or unable to make independent choices.
This can stifle their personal growth.
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Increased Pressure to Care for Aging Parents
With no siblings to share the responsibility, only children feel a heavy burden to care for aging parents. This pressure can weigh on them emotionally, even from a young age.
Guilt Over Setting Boundaries
Only children may struggle with setting boundaries, fearing that doing so will make them seem selfish or uncaring. This can lead to emotional burnout from always putting others first.
Lack of Conflict Resolution Skills
Without siblings to spar with, only children may not develop strong conflict resolution skills. This can make navigating conflicts in friendships or romantic relationships more challenging.
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High Expectations
Only children often experience higher expectations from parents, leading them to set unrealistic standards for themselves. This can result in perfectionism and constant self-criticism.
Trouble Sharing Attention
Because they never had to share their parents’ attention, only children might struggle when they don't receive the same level of attention from others, leading to feelings of rejection or jealousy.
Need for Control
Only children may have a stronger need for control, stemming from being the primary focus of their household. This need can cause problems when they can’t control their environment or the people around them.
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Fear of Being Alone Later in Life
Only children sometimes worry about being alone as they grow older, especially when considering their parents’ aging. The fear of having no immediate family can create long-term anxiety.
Difficulty Relying on Others
Since only children often learn to be self-sufficient, they may struggle to rely on others for help or support. This can lead to feelings of isolation or emotional burden.
Struggles with Emotional Independence
Only children may find it challenging to be emotionally independent, as they are used to being closely monitored or cared for by their parents.
This can make it hard to cope with emotional challenges on their own.
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Fear of Rejection
Having been the center of attention, only children may have a heightened fear of rejection from friends, partners, or colleagues. This can make them overly cautious in forming new relationships.
Overattachment to Parents
Only children may develop an overattachment to their parents, finding it hard to separate emotionally from them as they grow older. This can hinder their ability to form independent adult relationships.
Feelings of Inadequacy
Despite being highly praised by parents, only children might struggle with feelings of inadequacy, especially when they fail to meet their own high standards. This can lead to low self-esteem or imposter syndrome.
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Burden of Being the Sole Caregiver
Only children often bear the emotional and physical responsibility of being the sole caregiver for their parents as they age. This can create a sense of overwhelming duty that takes a toll on their well-being.
Difficulty Handling Criticism
Used to being praised, only children may find it difficult to handle criticism constructively. This can lead to defensiveness and challenges in personal and professional growth.
Lack of Emotional Outlet
Without siblings to share emotions with, only children might lack a safe outlet for their feelings. They may keep their emotions bottled up, leading to stress or anxiety.
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Challenges with Flexibility
Only children, accustomed to their own routines, may find it difficult to be flexible when life throws curveballs. This can create frustration when things don’t go as planned.
Struggling with Identity
Without the presence of siblings for comparison, only children might struggle to define their identity outside of their parents’ influence. This can lead to confusion about who they are and what they truly want in life.
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