Anonymous wrote:I'm an only child. Always longed for a sibling. I don't recommend being an only. It's really difficult at holidays/milestone times like birthdays because my parents live on the West Coast and only travel to see us once a year, usually in the fall. I feel sad that our holidays are all very small. If I had a sibling, I would have more family and my kids would have more family. It's very lonely being an only.

As is having siblings you either aren't close to, live away or parents that died young.

1) I'm talk to one of two siblings. I see the one sibling once a year
2) Dh was raised ina warm and large family. They were the picture perfect crew until illness and death took its toll. He has one deceased sibling, one he has not spoken to in years and one close sibling. Close sibling lives across state, so we see them twice a year.
3) We both have deceased parents, both remarried and came with their own kids. Dh and his sibling don't adore the new wife. They visit 1-2 times a year and always hope mil stays away.

So, dh had three siblings and is left with one relationship and no real parental relationship
I had two siblings, have one friendly relationship and a superficial relationship with surviving parent.

More kids don't mean family, as an adult.

Anonymous wrote:I'm the youngest of three. I recommend two. I'm the odd one out. Get ganged up on. Don't like it. I think that is less likely to happen with two.

That's how I felt as well as the youngest of three. It's getting better over time but I'm still definitely the odd one out, it's just not as mean spirited as it used to be.

Anonymous wrote:I have one sibling, never wished for another. Often wished to be an only child, like I was for the first 5 years before they had him.

Typical first-born.