Here's 10 surefire signs that a person didn't grow up with siblings

Aug 11, 2023

By: Abhiram Sajai

Growing up with siblings can be a learning experience

Childhood plays a major role in determining the kind of adults we will be. The experiences that people undergo often have a significant role in shaping an individual's character. Growing up as a single child has its benefits but having siblings can provid...

1. Blindly trusting people

I told my bf to close his eyes and open his mouth(I was surprising him with candy), and he just did it with no suspicion at all. People with siblings can’t trust like that. u/cowsofoblivion. I, an only child, told my gf I didn't know what a Chinese bu...

2. Lack of Exposure to more content

I’m an only child. One huge difference I see time and time again with those who have siblings—they had much more exposure to a longer timespan of media/music/games growing up. My idea of nostalgia consists of my specific timeline of media growing up, b...

3. Doesn't announce where they're going

I heard that only children are less likely to announce where they are going when they leave a room. Right away I realized I do that, but my partner who grew up with 2 sisters tells me where he’s about to go when he moves, even if it’s to the bathroom. u/Nu...

4. How they deal with conflict

My bf is an only child and it was his confusion at how I can be mad at my sister (who is also my roommate) one minute and turn around and get ice cream or go see a movie together. He grew up with a bunch of cousins around his age, but it was the quick turnarou...

5. Equating friendship to having siblings

Thinking friendship is like having siblings. It's not. I would never smash a toy on my friend's head and expect them to speak to me after. u/Useful_Jello2910. As an only child, this is what took me the longest to understand. I thought siblings ha...

6.  Not sharing food

My husband HATES sharing food! He is also very good at keeping himself entertained and busy- this was very evident during Covid when I was soooo bored and lost because all my previous hobbies and pastimes were outside the home and/or social activities, how...

7. Different food habits

From personal experience, food habits. Like buying snacks to store at home and fully expecting them to not have been touched when you’re gone, or eating slower at the dinner table because you’re not fighting over the good food. As a teen, on the rare occasion ...

8. Dealing with bullies

I worked with a set of brothers, and they were both a little younger than me, but I got along really well with the younger of the two. I have three brothers myself, two of which who are older than me, and we got to talking about the violence we experienced at ...

9. Not realizing that they can ask for help

I am an only child. I’ve noticed I tend to make a lot of life choices on my own and don’t seek out a lot of advice or ask for help when I could definitely use it. In fact, I’ve been pretty deep in tough situations when I finally have the realization that there...

10. Being a quiet roommate

They’re very quiet roommates in my experience. Sometimes don’t even know when they’re home. I hypothesize that they’re just used to quiet spaces and might feel uncomfortable when their surroundings get loud or chaotic. People with siblings are used to other pe...