When you have just one child for some reason you come under A LOT of suspicion. As though you are not doing your part, you are lazy and you are deforming your child in a way akin to female circumcision by keeping the child a SINGLE. One is almost tempted to come up with some birth horror story as to why you could only have one child. “Oh...we always wanted a large family...kids tumbling out of the closets and attic and trees....but during the birth some thing unspeakable happened...”
As is often the case—telling the truth is not good enough for most people. “Well my husband and I really enjoy staying in bed most of the morning on the weekends and indulging our interests in the arts, food, wine and frankly—having just one child almost put us over the edge with the sleep deprivation alone. There is no way we are “planning” another...besides I have the one girl I always wanted. “ This explanation is often greeted with...
“but you aren’t worried about her...all alone?” they say as though the Beast lives in solitary confinement and we have no interaction with her.
My friend, who also has a SINGLE and is in PR, came up with a few responses for such occasions when you are being queried by mothers of large families at soccer game practices or teachers during conferences—she says—”Yes, that is correct--I don’t have SPARE child....just one.” She also coined the term “The One Perfect Daughter Club” because there are A LOT of SINGLE kids and surprise, surprise—they seem perfectly happy, well adjusted and smart. And not at all— lonely, spoiled or bratty.
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