Do only children behave differently from children with brothers and sisters? Experts answered the question.
- Only children often tend to suffer from a bad reputation even though these are mostly preconceived ideas.
- Being an only child has no effects on cognitive or social functions.
- However, children without siblings generally have excellent language compared to children with siblings.
Often considered selfish, solitary or even capricious, only children sometimes suffer from a bad reputation. These preconceptions, however, have little basis. In fact, the child’s personality is not influenced by the number of brothers and sisters, but by different factors such as the socio-economic situation of the home or the emotional resources available to the parents, explained Alice Goisis, associate professor of demography. at the Center for Longitudinal Studies at University College London (UK).
Being an only child has no impact on cognitive or social skills
As part of an interview given to BBC Worldthe specialist explained how the context in which the child grows up can influence his behavior. “We observed, for example, that in the United Kingdom, where being an only child indicates that one grew up in a relatively advantaged family, these children had equal or better health later in life than children with siblings ( …) Whereas in Sweden, where the norm is to have two children and only children tend to come from less well-off families, only children are less healthy later in life. she noted.
It is therefore proven that being an only child has no effects on cognitive or social functions. However, there are some differences between children with and those without siblings.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child?
For Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist in the United Kingdom, children without brothers or sisters have excellent language, which is explained by the fact that their parents speak to them without being interrupted by other children. This linguistic input from parents is essential for the development of the child’s brain up to the age of three. It also offers a real advantage for the start of schooling.
Another observation: only children are very organized in terms of their free time, that is to say they are not disturbed by a brother or sister who comes to interrupt them while they are playing. They are therefore more independent. According to Linda Blair, these children are also able to form bonds more easily with older people.
However, being an only child also has disadvantages. “Research shows that siblings can have a protective effect when there is a dysfunctional parental relationship at home [ndlr séparation des parents, disputes fréquentes]in which case this situation tends to dilute the negative impact of these stressors”said Adriean Mancillas, American psychologist.
