I use the term “issue” in a tongue in cheek manner. I am the parent to an only child, and intend to keep it that way. Let me take a moment to explain why I’ve made this choice.

My pregnancy combined with my birth experience were both, less than stellar times in my life. Four years later, and I still feel some trauma and negative thoughts surrounding it all. I don’t particularly want to do it again and luckily, my husband feels the same way. However, this announcement often invites a stream of statements from the general public, including, but not limited to:

· “Won’t he be lonely?” I think this question frustrates me the most. My son attends daycare, belongs to a soccer team, has regular play dates with friends and has cousins around his age range. Hardly a recipe for solitude.

· “But…. you can’t do that.” This one gets uttered more often than you would think. I wasn’t aware there was some unwritten rule out there that people must have 2+ children, but personally, we’re quite happy with our 3 person family makeup, as I’m sure you are with your family composition.

· “Being an only child isn’t normal.” I’m no authority on what constitutes “normality” in families these days but I can assure you, we feel very normal.

In my opinion, this topic comes back to respect. We all make choices for ourselves and our families that we feel are best so let’s honor that. And,rest assured, my child is doing just fine. 🙂