Personality traits that reveal an only child

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

The theory of "only child syndrome" suggests that children without siblings may lack social skills and be spoiled, lonely, or selfish. This stereotype originated from a 19th-century survey by E. W. Bohannon, where most respondents described only children as excessively spoiled. This idea persisted in pop psychology until Toni Folbo's 1986 survey, which found no significant differences between only children and those with siblings, except for a stronger bond with parents. A 2018 study confirmed this finding.

However, the internet is ablaze with opinions on distinct traits that often reveal whether someone grew up with or without siblings. From surprising common traits to the more quirky signs, we’ve compiled the 30 most common ways to spot that someone is an only child. Click to browse and see if you can relate!

Strong sense of identity

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Without siblings to compare themselves to, only children often develop a strong sense of who they are from an early age.

Parent whisperer

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They're great with other people's parents because they grew up chatting with adults.

A sore loser

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They are more likely to take things personally and react emotionally.

No FOMO here

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Only children may avoid unnecessary socializing as they have been brought up to be used to their own company. 

Ultimate parent negotiator

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They can argue their way out of anything due to years of practicing on their parents as the sole defendant.

French exit

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They just get up and leave a room without saying anything or announcing where they're going.

Undisputed bathroom ruler

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They take 45-minute showers or long relaxing baths; blissfully unaware that siblings might have protested long ago.

Extrovert or introvert

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They're either the loudest in the group or the quietest.

Positive relationship with parents

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Only children report a more positive relationship with their parents. This is true in childhood as well as in adulthood. 

Approval and validation

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They strive for approval and seek validation from authority figures.

No hurry to eat

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They eat their food leisurely (because no one will steal it).

Independence

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They are more likely to be independent, self-reliant, and comfortable making decisions on their own. 

Halloween candy

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They leave their Halloween candy in the kitchen. What's the risk? 

Perception of personal space

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Only children don't have the same perspective of "personal space" as people with siblings. They can hog draws, closet space, etc. 

One-person powerhouse

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

They are self-sufficient and can do jobs that should take two to three people by themselves. Moving furniture and appliances etc. Growing up as an only child can foster a problem-solving mindset.

Roughhousing skills need improvement

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Their roughhousing skills are below par.

Group dynamics

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Only children might experience challenges in adapting to group dynamics.

Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Strong sense of identity, Parent whisperer, A sore loser, No FOMO here, Ultimate parent negotiator, French exit, Undisputed bathroom ruler, Extrovert or introvert, Positive relationship with parents, Approval and validation, No hurry to eat, Independence, Halloween candy, Perception of personal space, One-person powerhouse, Roughhousing skills need improvement, Group dynamics, Not thrilled to "take one for the team"

Only children can get unreasonably angry about group punishments because they often value fairness and individual responsibility. When they are punished for someone else's mistake, it can feel unjust and frustrating, leading to anger and resentment.

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