anything goes with emma chamberlain - growing up as an only child

Episode Date: June 17, 2021

Growing up as an only child is a really unique experience that can really have both positive and negative impacts on your life and relationships. From feelings of independence, desires to be alone mor...e often than most, relating more to adults more than people your own age, difficulties sharing with others, and much more. Emma discusses her experience growing up as an only child and the differences vs. having siblings, and how that’s impacted her personality and her approach to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello everybody, welcome back to anything goes I'm Emma Chamberlain your host I hope that you're having a gorgeous week I had a good week although nothing interesting happened I Cooked I Cleaned I went to the gym I Did my chores I read my book I journaled and that was it like Like that's all that happened this week. But it was a good week. But because I have no life updates, let's just get right into the episode today.
Starting point is 00:00:33 What are we talking about today? Today we're going to be talking about the stereotypes of only children. I grew up as an only child and I feel like throughout my life, stereotypes have just been thrown at me. People who aren't only children definitely tend to judge only children for whatever reason. And I kind of get it because when I think about the concept
Starting point is 00:01:02 of being an only child, it's very weird. Like it is kind of weird. And it's not super common. Like I don't meet a lot of only children on my day to day excursions. Like it's kind of rare to meet other only children. And as much as every human being and every only child is different,
Starting point is 00:01:21 I thought it'd be interesting today to go through a list of stereotypical behaviors of only children. I want to give my opinion as an only child and say whether or not I think that they're true, at least for me. Obviously, every only child is different, but let's see how much I fit the only children stereotype. I found an article online, the website is bestlifeonline.com, and they wrote an article called 15 Dead Giveaways that you're dealing with an only child.
Starting point is 00:01:57 I'm going to give my opinion on them, and we will see how they did. Number one, only children are independent to a fault. One of the biggest perks of being an only child is also one of its pitfalls. Only children get so used to being alone that they have an independent streak that's difficult to break. That can often mean that as adults it's their way or the highway. And if you have a strong independent streak of your own, make sure that you know the 15 ways to be a safer, female solo traveler. Oh, that would actually be a really good article
Starting point is 00:02:29 for me to read after this, because I do like traveling by myself. But anyway, I do think that I'm independent to a fault. I would say that this is true, because as much as I enjoy talking to people As much as I enjoy talking to people and as much as I enjoy hanging out with my close family and friends, I definitely tend to prefer my time alone because I'm very selfish about my own schedule and routine. Like, I have certain things in my day that I need to get done,
Starting point is 00:03:09 or else I am not a good person. For example, like I need to exercise every day, and I need to, well not every day, but like do something kind of active every day. I like to have the time and freedom to get my work done at my leisure. Stuff like that. And so because of that and because of the fact that I enjoy being alone anyway, I do end up spending a lot of time alone and I do tend to lean towards that. Like, if I have a choice, I'll usually choose to be alone,
Starting point is 00:03:47 which is good for my productivity, but bad because I think that I can get lonely without even realizing it. Like, I'll accidentally end up being alone for a week straight and then I'll be like, oh fuck, I have not seen anybody this week. And even though I'm an only child and I'm used to being alone and I'm comfortable with being alone, as a human being you still need to have social interaction.
Starting point is 00:04:14 Like you have to have balance. And I think that I tend to overdo it sometimes and I'll spend too much time alone. And then it'll end up making me kind of sad, but I don't even realize that it's happening when it's happening. And then I'll be like, okay, I need to plan like a dinner with my friends or plan a barbecue or something, because I've just been alone for too long. And it's starting to make me subconsciously a little bummed out. So I would say that this first point is true.
Starting point is 00:04:43 So, off to a good start. Second trait of only children is that they're more sensitive. Having a sibling to take jabs at you throughout your childhood can give anyone a thicker skin. However, for many only children that lack of playful teasing means that they're a bit more sensitive as adults. You know, I would disagree with this one because I don't think that I'm any more sensitive when it comes to playful jabs and stuff like that than the next guy. I would say I'm sensitive in other ways.
Starting point is 00:05:21 Like I would say I'm sensitive in a sense where I'm highly emotional. And I cry a lot and I take things really deep to heart and stuff like that. When it comes to like playful banter and like people giving me a hard time, I would say I'm pretty good at handling that. For whatever reason, I don't think that being an only child
Starting point is 00:05:49 has made me a pussy in the sense where somebody, makes fun of something that I'm wearing or something as a joke and I get really upset. I feel like I'm pretty good about that. I don't think that I'm super sensitive there. But in general, I'm sensitive. If that makes sense, like, more on a personal basis, less than on a social basis.
Starting point is 00:06:11 I would say that I'm sensitive. So I guess that I'm 50, 50 on this one. But like, if somebody wants to pick on me playfully, like, I'm not gonna be like, hey, that's not nice. Like, no, I actually enjoy that stuff most of the time. So I'm on the fence with this one. Third character, as you're given,
Starting point is 00:06:34 only child is that they won't ask you for help. That coworker who would rather go back to school to learn printer repair than ever call for help, yeah, they're probably an only child. In addition to learning independence at a young age, only children learn how important self-sufficiency is, meaning they're often unwilling to admit that they need a hand.
Starting point is 00:06:54 Yes, this is actually very true. I will ruin my own life if it means that I don't have to ask for help, I hate asking for help. All of my friends could tell you this, like, I rarely ever, if ever, ask for help. If I need a ride to the airport, if I need help moving, if I need help learning how to do something, I will never ask anyone for help. I always force myself to figure it out on my own. Like if I wanna learn how to do something new, I will read a book about it,
Starting point is 00:07:39 I will go on the internet and look it up myself. I'll figure it all out myself because I hate asking for help. I don't actually know why I behave like that. I guess it's because I don't want to be a burden to anybody and I would rather just figure it out on my own instead of using somebody else's time. Because then I feel guilt. If I use somebody else's time when I could have just handled it on my own,
Starting point is 00:08:06 I feel guilty about that. I'm very conscious of my use of other people's time. And I never want anybody to feel like them helping me as a waste of time. So instead I just don't ask for help. So I would say that's very true. Fourth trait of an only child, they need their alone time. If that person you match with on Tinder
Starting point is 00:08:27 seemed like they were into you, but suddenly tells you that they want to spend a few days alone, don't necessarily sweat it. For many only children learning to be alone is such an integral part of their childhood that they tend to crave solo time as adults too. For sure, like after a weekend of hanging out with friends, I'm ready to be alone. For sure. Like, after a weekend of hanging out with friends, I'm ready to be alone. For sure. And I definitely need time to recharge. Possibly more than my close
Starting point is 00:08:56 friends, some of my friends are the same way, even though they're not only children, but I would say that like my social battery, I feel like it's drained pretty quickly, possibly quicker than other people. And I need to be by myself and reflect and think and recharge and do things for me and get my energy back. I would say for sure. But in the same breath, if I spend too much time alone, I get to a point where I need social interaction. Like I'm not somebody who could spend two months
Starting point is 00:09:37 in solitary confinement and be fine. By no means is that true. It's a balance, you know what I mean? But I definitely prioritize my alone time. I would say that that is that true. It's like a balance, you know what I mean? But I definitely prioritize my alone time. I would say that that's very true. Fifth trait of only children is that they're overachievers. With the extra parental attention that often a company is being raised as an only child
Starting point is 00:09:58 comes one significant benefit, some overachieving tendencies. Many only children keep aiming high in adulthood to regain that high that they got from parental praises a kid. I would agree with this. I would say I am definitely kind of an overachiever and perfectionist,
Starting point is 00:10:15 which I don't hate about myself. It does make my life a living hell sometimes and most of the time, but I would say, it's worth it for me because you know what, I'm wired this way, I can't turn it off so might as well accept it. But I don't think that it has to do with being an only child because my parents never put any pressure on me to get good grades or do any crazy extra curricular stuff or to be in any crazy sports. I never had that pressure.
Starting point is 00:10:51 My parents were always really chill. I think that that's just how I am wired naturally. I don't think that has anything to do with me being an only child, but yet it is true. So I guess, maybe my only childness has something to do with the fact that I am a perfectionist and an overachiever. Who knows? But, yeah. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. There's no instruction manual when it comes to being an adult. Sometimes I lay away at night rehashing something I said earlier that day, or I lay in bed at night
Starting point is 00:11:28 thinking about what the future holds. I know I'm not the only one going through a lot of what ifs. Like what if I get into a fender bender? Or what if my home gets broken into? But state farm can help you with some of those big what ifs. They're available to answer your questions day or night. You can reach them 24-7 file a claim on the State Farm mobile app or simply call your agent to ask what's on your mind. Like you good neighbor, State Farm is there. Call or go to StateFarm.com
Starting point is 00:11:56 for a quote today. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is more than a website builder. It's in all in one place to make an online space that's entirely your own. Their all-in-one platform allows you to customize everything from the fonts and color scheme to your domain name. All you have to do is choose from one of their beautifully designed templates as a starting off point. Then, at whatever you need to show off your ideas to get your side hustle on. You've got all the tools you need to sell products, schedule appointments, and send email campaigns to your mailing list. Plus, everything is optimized for mobile, so it looks just as good on a phone
Starting point is 00:12:36 as it does on a desktop. Check out Squarespace.com for more features and inspiration, and when you're ready to build your site, use the offer code Emma for 10% off your first purchase of a website or a domain. Next, only children are wise beyond their years. Growing up without a peer at home, but with a lot of adult influence, can have a major effect on an individual's personality. It makes them wise beyond their years.
Starting point is 00:13:01 Both kids and adults can have an old soul personality that might be the result of spending more time with grown-ups than with kids in their youth. This is true. Like this is very true, and I feel like they forgot to mention a part of being, quote unquote, wise beyond your years, which is that I genuinely get along with adults better than I get along with kids. And that has been tough for me. Like, as, you know, maybe nice as it may sound to be mature. I have always struggled with connecting with people
Starting point is 00:13:48 that are my age because I've just simply spent so much time with adults. And to this day, I talk to adults equally as much as I talk to people my own age, whether it's my parents or even my team that I work with on my work. I talk to adults equally as much, if not even a little bit more than I talk to kids,
Starting point is 00:14:20 or people my age, and I feel like I get along with adults better, but that makes me feel isolated sometimes. Because I'll go to a social event, I'll go to a party, and I'll try to connect deeply with people my age. And I find that it doesn't work. And I don't know why that is, but it's very rare that I'll find somebody my age that I fully connect with. And I don't really have an explanation for it,
Starting point is 00:14:44 but I can say that I do think that that has to do with me being an only child. And it has its benefits because getting along with adults and being maybe a little bit more mature in a sense can help get you far in some areas, but it can also make you feel really isolated. And I have felt really isolated because of this trait, and I would say it's very true.
Starting point is 00:15:06 So moving on, next, only children know how to keep themselves amused. If you have that one friend who seems to know how to find endless ways to amuse themselves in any situation, odds are that they are an only child. In fact, researchers at Middle Tennessee State University found that only children are particularly good at finding ways to keep themselves occupied, whether that means playing solo
Starting point is 00:15:30 or creating imaginary friends. I would say that this was pretty true. Like, as a kid, I don't think I was ever bored, even though I was an only child. I was never bored. I was always doing weird fucking shit, like whether that was, you know, experimenting with makeup or finding weird documentaries on YouTube at like a nine year old or making weird things,
Starting point is 00:15:59 like I used to like make weird things like at a duct tape and stuff like that. I don't know, I don't think I was ever bored as a kid. And so I would say that I was probably pretty good at entertaining myself as a kid. But as an adult, like, I definitely get bored sometimes. And sometimes I'm like, yeah, it would be nice to like go to the beach with friends right now. I'd rather do that than go by myself. Like, I think in my older years, I've gotten to a place where I do
Starting point is 00:16:26 get bored more often. I would say that I'm less prone to use my imagination as an adult to entertain myself, which as a kid I was very good at. But I would say that in general I'm pretty good at entertaining myself. So I would say that this is pretty much true. Number eight, only children hate to admit that when they're wrong. While kids with siblings often have someone else to pass the blame on to, only children have no such luck. And as often, they're unwilling to admit they're wrong doing even in adulthood, knowing that any blame will fall squarely on their shoulders. Oh, okay, this is interesting because initially I would say that I disagree.
Starting point is 00:17:12 Like, I'm fully okay with admitting when I'm wrong. Like, if I hurt somebody's feelings or if I do something wrong and they come to me and they tell me, hey, you did something wrong, here's what it is. I enjoy the path of least resistance. I don't like arguing with people and I just want everything to be fun and easy going. So I'm always willing to admit my faults. Point blank. But this did mention that only children, even in their adulthood, feel like all blame will fall squarely on their
Starting point is 00:17:47 shoulders. And that's very true. Because I wasn't only child, I felt like I could get away with nothing. And my parents were so hyper aware of everything that I was doing that any time I would even remotely mess up fuck up and anyway my parents were on it and they were confronting me about it. Whereas they feel like kids who have siblings get to share that blame maybe a little bit more and it's less all on them.
Starting point is 00:18:24 Whereas for me like all the blame is on me. I think that as an adult, that's caused paranoia for me and almost this sense of wanting to be perfect and never fuck up because I grew up knowing that I could get away with absolutely nothing without being confronted by my parents, which is a great thing. Don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing. But I think that my brain has taken it to maybe an unhealthy level where now I'm constantly
Starting point is 00:18:59 anxious about fucking up, in a sense, or like doing something wrong because I don't want to get confronted but I feel like I'm always on the verge of getting confronted even like even if somebody misconstrues something that I said or did like I'm always paranoid about being confronted because I didn't get away with shit growing up, which I don't know, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Next point is that only children are very close with their parents.
Starting point is 00:19:33 This is very true. And this can be a good or a bad thing because I'm very close to my parents and they are like my best friends, you know what I mean? Like they've been, like I've been extremely close with them since day one. And in a sense, they were the closest thing I had to siblings. Like, you know, they would play Barbies and Legos with me.
Starting point is 00:19:55 And they would watch movies with me. Like they were like my siblings almost, which made me double close to them. And that's a good thing because, you know, I'm grateful for my relationship with my parents. It's very close. But on the other hand, it's actually kind of emotionally taxing because my parents are so sacred to me that I put a lot more weight on my relationship with my parents than some of my peers do. And I worry about them a lot more.
Starting point is 00:20:27 And that's miserable. Like, I constantly am worrying about my parents because they're like the only family I really have. And that's scary because there's only two of them and they are one of one. You know what I mean? My closeness to them is amazing, but it also comes with a lot of fear
Starting point is 00:20:50 and a lot of anxiety and a lot of protectiveness almost over them. Next point, only children are not great at sharing. While many of the trades associated with only children are unfounded, their rumored unwillingness to share may have some truth to it. Researchers in China have actually discovered differences in the brains of only children and those with siblings. The former being less agreeable than those who grew up with
Starting point is 00:21:17 other kids in the family. One of the negatives is not learning how to share if parents don't ensure that. This developmental process happens. I would say that this is true to a certain extent, especially when I was younger, like if I would come to school and I would have a new pack of erasers and one of my friends would ask me for one, the answer was no.
Starting point is 00:21:42 The answer was absolutely not. I really hated sharing growing up. I think it was because I really like taking care of my things and I really cherished my things. So sharing them like bothered me. And I always felt like people should just go get their own stuff, you know? So I would say that that's relatively true.
Starting point is 00:22:04 But when it comes to like eating at a restaurant and somebody wanting to buy to my food or somebody wanting to borrow my clothes nowadays, I feel like I've relaxed a lot, you know? But even deep down though, I still get a little bit irritated occasionally. Like if somebody wants to borrow my clothes or you know, borrow my makeup or like whatever,
Starting point is 00:22:25 borrow my things. Like I do tend to get a little bit irritated, but I think that I've gotten better at being like Emma, you need to share. You know what I mean? Like you do need to share. Like you can't be an asshole, you know? So luckily with my maturity,
Starting point is 00:22:42 I've like gotten better about it, but I do think that this is actually true. At first I thought it wasn't true, but I actually agree, I'm not great at sharing, I'm to be honest. Next, only children are not good at compromising. Now, let me do some self-reflection here. Let me think about a scenario where there need to be compromise. Let's say that I want to see a movie, but my friend wants to go to the beach. A compromise would be that instead we go to dinner. I would say I'm pretty chill about that.
Starting point is 00:23:20 I mean, when it comes to like doing activities with other people, I just want everybody to be happy so that whatever activity we do is fun. So I'm generally willing to compromise in order to make everybody happy. Although before I'm even likely to compromise, I'm more likely to just settle and just agree because I just, again, want the path of least resistance and I want everybody to be happy. So I would not say that this point is true. I would say I'm pretty good at compromising and so that point is not valid.
Starting point is 00:23:58 Next, they tend to think outside of the box. You know, it's funny that this is on the list because recently I've been struggling with thinking outside of the box. You know, it's funny that this is on the list because recently I've been struggling with thinking outside of the box. I found in the past I've been okay at it, but in my recent years, like I feel like I'm on autopilot to a point where I don't really think outside of the box
Starting point is 00:24:22 as much as I wish I did. So I would say that this isn't necessarily true because I have to force myself to think outside of the box sometimes. And it doesn't always come really naturally to me. Sometimes it does, but like definitely sometimes it doesn't. So I would say this is not true. Next, only children need a lot of affirmation.
Starting point is 00:24:43 Only children need a lot of complimentsation. Only children need a lot of compliments. Yeah, that is very true. Like when I'm in a relationship, I need somebody to tell me that I'm the most perfect human being on the planet every day or else I feel terrible. That's kind of a joke, but like kind of not. Like I need constant reassurance in affirmation
Starting point is 00:25:07 and compliments, not necessarily compliments, more like reassurance in affirmations. Compliments are nice, but like they're not as necessary. Like I don't need that. But I constantly need to be reassured that people care about me, that they love me, that I'm pleasant to be around. Like I definitely need that a lot.
Starting point is 00:25:30 According to this article, because only children received so much praise directly from their parents, they need that also as adults in their everyday life because they're used to it. They're used to getting praised and congratulated and reassured and affirmed often. Somebody said it takes them a bit longer to warm up
Starting point is 00:25:56 and only children have a hard time making friends. I disagree. I've never had a hard time really making friends or warming up to people. My problem is forming meaningful connections. Like I may have no problem making friends. Initially, my problem arises when it comes to keeping the relationship going. You know what I mean? And like maintaining a good relationship.
Starting point is 00:26:29 That is when I struggle. Because I tend to be very picky with who I'm friends with. And if I'm not vibing with it, like I'm gone. You know what I mean? Like I will fucking disappear. Which I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but I think it's because I'm, again, independent to a fault because I'm an only child,
Starting point is 00:26:50 and I don't feel like I need anybody, so because of that, I just will see myself out of a friendship that's not serving me. Possibly too quickly and possibly too easily. But I do disagree with the point that only children struggle to make friends because when it comes to making friends, like the actual act of like creating a new friendship, starting a new friendship, that's like easy for me. It's a matter of whether or not I want to pursue it. That's where I struggle.
Starting point is 00:27:27 Last but not least, they're highly success oriented. Okay, we already talked about this. I would say this is definitely true. I mean, I've always been very obsessed with succeeding. You know, like even though the pressure didn't come from my parents, it came from me. I was still always very obsessed with succeeding. I always wanted to go to a good college. I always wanted to get a job that paid really well. I always wanted to be successful. I don't know why that is.
Starting point is 00:27:57 I think it might be because the only person I was competing against was myself. That doesn't really give you a baseline. You know what I mean? Let's say you have a sibling who ended up being a nurse and you're in college and you're like, I want to be better than my sister. I want to have a better job than my sister. Then you might go and get your PhD and be a doctor.
Starting point is 00:28:25 You know what I'm saying? That gives you like a set goal. You're like, I want to have a better job than my sibling. I don't know if that's how that shit works, but like that's just an example. Whereas for me, like my goal was just like being as successful as possible with no limit. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:28:41 Because I just didn't have anything to compare it to. Like, I didn't have anybody to go off of. I was competing with just limit. You know what I mean? Because I just didn't have anything to compare it to. Like, I didn't have anybody to go off of. I was competing with just me. This episode is brought to you by Liquid IV. Liquid IV believes everybody needs hydration every day. It's not just for athletes or that one time you try to hot yoga class, staying hydrated is essential,
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Starting point is 00:31:48 anything tap the banner or visit this episode's page to learn more. So I guess the moral of the story is that there are definitely some traits that you inevitably get from being an only child. I don't think that they're necessarily always negative. I think that they can be negative, but I think that there's definitely negative things that come from having siblings. And I think at the end of the day, it's all very individual.
Starting point is 00:32:19 And honestly looking at this article and kind of analyzing it myself, put a lot of things into perspective for me because I am always thinking about my future and when I have kids and stuff like that. And I always ask myself how many kids I want to have. And I was always torn between having multiple kids so that I could, in a sense, experience what siblings is like because I never had my own siblings. So I would give my kids siblings
Starting point is 00:32:46 so that I could experience that in a family dynamic because I've never experienced it. But then I've also considered, you know, just having one kid and stopping there because my personal experience being an only child, I think was pretty good. Like I wouldn't want it any other way. And so, is there really a helicopter?
Starting point is 00:33:09 Like can you guys hear that? I hope you can hear that, whatever. There's a helicopter above my home right now. I'm like trying to remember if I broke a law within the past 48 hours. It's like a police helicopter, I'm scared. Okay, anyway. They're here to get me. But no, I think that you can't really go wrong. I think that at the end of the day,
Starting point is 00:33:33 you know, your circumstances, what you make of it, and there are so many factors that like being an only child or not being an only child is just a small part of what makes you you, you know, whether or not you have siblings. It's a very minute detail of your personality and your development. But anyway, let's answer some questions. You guys tweeted me at the Twitter on the Twitter at AG podcast. Some questions about being an only child and I'm going to answer them. And you can follow the Twitter at AG podcast if you'd like to participate in further episodes. Somebody said, were you jealous of other kids because they had siblings and you didn't?
Starting point is 00:34:17 I definitely was jealous occasionally of people who had siblings, especially people who had older siblings because I always felt like people who had older siblings had more connections. Like for example, when they'd get into high school, all the teachers already knew the kids that had older siblings. And kids who have older siblings are always thought of as cooler, I feel like. So I definitely felt like I was missing out in that area, but when it came to my family life, I never wanted siblings.
Starting point is 00:34:53 Actually, I was repulsed by the thought of having a sibling. Like, I was so glad that I didn't have a sibling because I liked having my parents full attention and like, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I think more socially, like at school, that's when I wish I had an older sibling. But again, like no regrets, in retrospect, I'm glad I don't have siblings. I wouldn't be the same person, you know?
Starting point is 00:35:19 Somebody said, as an only child, who would you go to for advice? Always my parents. And I think that that's what made my relationship to my parents so close was that they were the only people I had to go to for advice. And it made our relationship so much closer and it made our relationship a lot more open.
Starting point is 00:35:40 And for that, I'm very grateful because I think that it's kind of rare for kids to go to their parents and tell them everything. And I've always been somebody who did that and I'm very grateful for that. Somebody said, knowing what you know about being an only child, do you think that you will have an only child or have multiple kids? So I know I just talked about that literally 30 seconds ago, but here's my dilemma. Like I'll be brutally honest. I want to have an only child because I had such a great experience with it. I had such a great bond with my parents.
Starting point is 00:36:20 And I just think that it was great. You know what I mean? It was great. But at the same time, I'm scared of only having one child because I'm scared of only having one child and then something happening to that one child. Like this is so morbid, but like them dying or something. And then I'd be left with no kids.
Starting point is 00:36:52 Like, that's the reason why I wanna have potentially multiple kids is because not only would it be interesting and an eye opening experience to witness how the sibling dynamic works. But I also want to have a big family and have a lot of people around me and like have that be kind of guaranteed because family when you're in your 30s and 40s is like the most important thing.
Starting point is 00:37:29 Actually, I would say from the time that you're like 40 till the time that you die, I think that family is like one of the most important things you have because you're not social as much anymore, you're not partying at school and all that stuff. You're priority shift to family, I feel like when you're older. Whatever family may mean for you,
Starting point is 00:38:00 it's very different for everybody, but I feel like I wanna have a big family because I want to ensure that I have people around me for the rest of my life and a lot of people, you know what I mean? I wanna have a decent sized family, and I don't have siblings, so I kinda have to make up for lost time
Starting point is 00:38:19 by having extra kids. I feel like the happy medium would be to have like two or three kids. I think three might be too much. I think two kids is perfect. So maybe three, but maybe two. I don't know. But who knows? It might come down to it. Am I just have one kid and be like, I'm done. And that might be enough, you know, but I don't know it. I'm so young, I don't need to know right now. Do you think the being an only child was harder because you had divorced parents?
Starting point is 00:38:50 I would say, no. Well, yes, I would say yes and no. Yes, because I had nobody to relate to over the heartbreak of a divorce. I was kind of alone in that front, but I would say that after the divorce was like fully over and everything was kind of settled, I don't think it was harder because I got a lot of one-on-one time with both of my parents. And that was really special. And I think that
Starting point is 00:39:25 was great. And I think that that actually made my childhood, in a sense, easier because I had so much one-on-one time with my parents. Not, I mean, I think that there were definitely some hard parts about it, but I would say that overall, like, the only part about it that was ruthless was that when it was happening and in the midst of it, I didn't have anybody that was going through the exact same thing as me. Like my parents were, yes, going through a divorce with me, but they were dealing with a totally different side of it than I was. I didn't have a sibling that was in the exact same position as me, dealing with the exact
Starting point is 00:40:03 same situation, and I think that was in the exact same position as me, dealing with the exact same situation. And I think that was tough. Somebody said, do you think there's a lot more pressure to be successful when you're an only child rather than when you have siblings? I thought about this even more because I know we kind of touched on this earlier, but I thought about this even more. And I actually think that I personally had less pressure on me because there was no sibling to compare to. You know what I'm saying? So like any accomplishment was exciting to my parents
Starting point is 00:40:34 and they didn't really have any expectation because I was their only child. So I was lucky in that area, but I do think that some only children feel pressure to be uber successful because they are their parents only chance at having a successful child. So I think it can go both ways, but I would say for me personally, I didn't experience that because instead my parents were looking at it, you know, like, well, you know, this
Starting point is 00:41:02 is, this is our only kid we We have nothing to compare it to. Like she's doing good enough. Conversation over, you know what I mean? Anyway, I think it's safe to say that only children are definitely a unique breed, but they're not that much different, okay? So don't be afraid of only children. We don't bite.
Starting point is 00:41:24 Trust me, we're not that bad. Okay, so don't be afraid of only children. We don't bite, trust me. We're not that bad. We're not that weird either, I don't think. But maybe just don't ask us to borrow our clothes. That's the takeaway from this episode. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you found it relatively interesting. If you enjoyed it, give anything goes
Starting point is 00:41:44 a five stars on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to anything goes on any of the platforms that you listen to podcasts. Follow that anything goes Twitter at AG Podcasts so that you can participate in the episodes. I hope you have an amazing rest of your week. I love you all and I will see you around by... and I will see you around. Bye.

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