Challenging the Stereotypes About Only Children: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Practice

The negative stereotypes of only children are pervasive despite a growing trend toward single‐child families and evidence of the only child's strengths. People maintain definite beliefs about the characteristics of each ordinal position in a family, typically viewing only children as lonely, spoiled, and maladjusted. The author reviewed the literature to provide an accurate understanding of the stereotypes of only children, their assets, and the challenges they face. Cross‐cultural findings and implications for clinical practice with only children and their parents are discussed.