One Moment Please! Two Teenage Only Children talk!

Teen Chat With The Only Child

Looking at the world through a teenager's eyes...

The Only Child was lucky enough to have 15 minutes of two teenage Only Children's time (one girl and one boy). One of them is an Only Child with a single Mother, and one of them is an Only Child with Mum and Dad. Both teenagers go to an excellent High School - which has high academic selection criteria. So they are both pretty good at achieving great grades!

The point of our chat was to see a teenage perspective on being an Only Child, and how their personal life experience of being an Only has made them feel so far.

Their names have been changed to protect their 'coolness' - so we will call them Hansel and Gretel.

The Only Child: Hey Thanks Guys for this chat, so what has it been like being an Only Child?


Hansel: It's been good. I don't know life any other way really - it's always been Mum and me. It's been more lonely for my Mum I think, but otherwise, life's been pretty good for me! Best moment was receiving my car for my 16th birthday - that rocked!

Gretel: I always felt hard done by being an Only Child when I was younger. I used to look at my friend's Mums who would get pregnant, and I would think, 'why can't my Mum have another baby?'. I guess I have kinda been resentful of my Mum at times.

The Only Child: Okay, Gretel that's gotta be a difficult emotion to deal with growing up. Did you ask your Mum why she didn't have another child?

Gretel: Yeah. I asked her heaps of times. Each time she said that she was just enjoying life with me and my Dad. So, yeah. I definitely want at least two kids when I have children one day.

Hansel: I have never wanted to ask my Mum why she didn't want any more children. She's worked hard in her career [his Mother is a respected Lawyer], and I guess being the only son I have been protective of her. Probably more than my mates are with their Mums.

The Only Child: Okay, you guys have two really differing views on being an Only Child. I wonder, did you guys feel like you had more quality time with your parents compared to your friends?

Hansel: Hell yeah! I remember Mum finishing work and coming straight home to get me from school, take me to soccer practice, then go out to our favorite restaurant heaps growing up. I was really in to sport, and Mum would take me to national games, and nearly every week she would stay for my entire soccer practice and watch. When I was 8, that was so important to me.

Gretel: I guess so. Mum would take me to the salon with her, and we would go clothes shopping together a lot. She was always there to make me afternoon tea after school, and we always had a home cooked dinner. But, I felt like I was her project. All of the attention on me felt like huge pressure sometimes. And it's even worse now that I'm 17.

Oh, so hard being an Only Child...

The Only Child: Really? Why is it worse now that you are 17?

Gretel: Well, because there is no one else to back me in the house. It's me against Mum and Dad. My friends have their older or younger brothers to help comfort them when they are at home, but I have no one. The worst is when Mum and Dad confiscated my cellphone and I wasn't allowed to use the internet.

Hansel: I understand what Gretel's saying. As an Only Child you do feel like you have no ally against your parents.



The Only Child: I understand. What were some good things about being the Only Child?

Gretel: There were lots of good things.

Hansel: Yeah. You name it - I got it. If something was super expensive, then Mum might make me wait for a couple of months, but on the whole I guess I had a childhood where everything I wanted I got.

Gretel: *laughing* Actually, yeah, this reminds me of one Christmas where I got like the entire cateloge of Sylvanian Families toys. My girlfriends were so jealous, they couldn't believe I could get everything. But it wasn't that fun playing with them, unless a friend was over playing with me.

Hansel: It was good to have Mum's whole focus on me. I would actually worry sometimes if she had a boyfriend that she would have another child. I didn't want that! No way!

Gretel: I loved that I had a really close relationship with my Mum and Dad. Sometimes it was pressure related. But I feel on a different level with my parents, than my friends do with theirs. I think it's a better level, as long as you have a breather from time to time.


The Only Child: Okay, so last question before you go, did you want a brother or sister?

Gretel: Yes, I did.

Hansel: No way! I was the 'man'.


The Only Child: Thanks guys! And be grateful that you didn't end up as my Only Child!


Gretel and Hansel: *forced laugh*